Tuesday, January 28, 2020

Greenhouse gases Essay Example for Free

Greenhouse gases Essay â€Å"Gases that trap heat in the atmosphere are often called greenhouse gases† (Environmental Protection Agency, 1). Some greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, occur naturally and are emitted into the air through natural processes and human activity. Other greenhouse gases are emitted only through human activity. These include â€Å"carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and fluorinated gases† (Environmental Protection Agency, 1). Carbon dioxide is emitted through the burning of fossil fuels as well as through solid waste and tree and wood products. Methane is emitted during the transport of coal, natural gas and oil. Nitrous oxide is emitted during agricultural and industrial activities. Fluorinated gases are emitted through a variety of industrial processes (Environmental Protection Agency, 1). These are all dangerous emissions that have a serious impact on the integrity of the environment. However, there are many natural processes that can cause an emission of greenhouse gases and these get far less attention than those associated with human activity. â€Å"Cattle numbers have more than tripled in the last ten years† (Hao, et al, 376). An analysis of the greenhouse gas emissions of these increasing cattle herds as compared to automobiles and planes is offered. The Problem with Cattle â€Å"Associated with intensification of livestock operations in an increased amount of feedlot manure produced each year† (Hao, et al, 376). Typically, cattle manure is disposed of by applying it directly to fields. â€Å"However, this has created environmental concerns† (Hao, et al, 376). Composting manure before applying it to fields has been suggested as an alternative because it â€Å"reduces odor, pathogens, weeds and fly breeding potential† (Hao, et al, 376). However, it has also been shown that composting the manure before application â€Å"contributes to emissions of greenhouse gases† (Hao, et al, 376). The process of composting the manure results in an increase in several different gases including methane and carbon dioxide. As the manure is composted, â€Å"heat is generated and the temperature of the compost increases. † As the temperature increases, greenhouse gas emissions also increase (Hao, et al, 384). Finally, â€Å"composted manure can be trucked further distances† which also adds to the overall greenhouse gas emissions associated with cattle manure (Hao, et al, 376). It is the by products of the cattle that cause a large part of the overall greenhouse gas emissions related to the livestock trade. The chemical composition of the by products are what contribute to an increase in greenhouse gases. Therefore, as cattle herds increase so does their by products which, in turn, increases gas emissions. â€Å"Globally, methane emissions from cattle are five to six percent of total emissions while nitrogen emissions are seven percent of total emissions† (Hao, et al, 37). As the cattle herds grow the amount of manure that is produces also grows and this results in an increase in overall greenhouse gas emissions over time. When manure is composted it is required to remain in one place over a long period of time. As the manure composts its temperature increases which only adds to the greenhouse gas emissions that comes from the manure Therefore, it can be shown that greenhouse gas emissions from cattle are larger than greenhouse gas emissions from automobiles and planes, particularly as the global number of cattle herds increases so does global output of methane and nitrogen. These greenhouse gas emissions are far more dangerous than the emissions from automobiles and planes. While sustainable development has received global attention it has â€Å"limited influence on the transportation sector† (Bartle, 214). While people all over the world are attempting to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by also reducing their driving and/or purchasing more efficient vehicles, the United States air industry â€Å"is unsustainable and forecasted trends suggest that this problem will get worse† (Bartle, 214). Current pollution control policies do not adequately address the issues associated with greenhouse gas emissions and airplane use. However, there are many reforms and new policies being considered in order to make air travel more sustainable while also reducing total greenhouse gas emissions during flying. While automobile and airplane travel have the capacity and ability to find new and innovative ways to reduce their overall greenhouse gas emissions, this is much more difficult for the cattle industry given the rapid increases in cattle herd size as well as manure output. Further, livestock are a leading source of greenhouse gas emissions but much more emphasis is placed on how to reduce emissions from automobiles and airplanes and much less focus is placed on how to reduce emissions within the livestock field (LA Times, 1). The cattle and livestock industry contributes more â€Å"silent and deadly emissions† than the â€Å"entire world transportation sector† (LA Times, 1). Many politicians and environmentalists do not realize the enormous problem that cattle emissions really are and often scoff at how much greenhouse gas they emit â€Å"but livestock emissions are no joke† (LA Times, 1). Further, much of the focus is placed on carbon dioxide and the majority of people do not realize the negative implications of methane and nitrous oxide – two major emissions from cattle. These two gases are more efficient at trapping heat in the environment than carbon dioxide is. Methane has â€Å"twenty-one times the potential for heat generation than carbon dioxide† does and cows can produce up to â€Å"one hundred thirty gallons† of methane per cow per day (LA Times, 1). Environmentalists tend to focus more on the greenhouse gas emissions from automobiles and planes which downplays the role of the livestock industry. At the same time, the public is not aware of the problem. Livestock, particularly cattle, are responsible for â€Å"eighteen percent of greenhouse gases worldwide – more than all the planes, trains and automobiles on the planet† (LA Times, 1). The problem appears to be getting worse. As previously mentioned the cattle herd sizes are increasing. Similarly, as living standards across the globe increase so does â€Å"a fondness for meat and dairy† (LA Times, 1). For example, meat consumption in the developing world doubled between 1980 and 2002 and it is expected to double again by 2050. â€Å"That means the environmental damage of ranching would have to be cut in half just to keep emissions at their current, dangerous level† (LA Times, 1). As more emphasis continues to be placed on the transportation sector, less emphasis is placed on the danger that the cattle emissions pose to the overall integrity of the environment. â€Å"The global livestock sector is growing faster than any other agricultural sub sector† (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 1). â€Å"It provides livelihoods to about 1. 3 billion people and contributes about 40 percent to global agricultural output and is an important â€Å"source of renewable energy (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 1). While this type of growth is certainly good for farmers and their bottom line, it has negative implications with regards to the overall integrity of the planet’s environment. As cattle herds continue to grow larger the problem is only going to get worse. Therefore, it is essential that the livestock industry be made aware of their contribution to greenhouse gas emissions so they are able to research and implement solutions that will help reduce their impact on the planet. Recommendations As mentioned previously, â€Å"the environmental costs per unit of livestock production must be cut by one half, just to avoid the level of damage worsening beyond its present level† (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 1). Manure is the primary source of greenhouse gas emissions, specifically methane and nitrous oxide. The cattle industry â€Å"generates sixty-five percent of human related nitrous oxide† which has â€Å"two hundred ninety-six times the Global Warming Potential than carbon dioxide† (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 1). The cattle industry also accounts for â€Å"thirty-seven percent of all human induced methane† which has â€Å"twenty-three times the Global Warming Potential than carbon dioxide† (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 1). These high levels of greenhouse gas emissions from the cattle industry prove the importance of changes in order to reduce the impact that cattle has on the environment. The problem also takes much of the emphasis off of carbon dioxide and places it on methane and nitrous oxide since they have much more capability for damage. One suggestion is for human beings to begin â€Å"cutting back on read meat† as this would reduce the high demand for cattle and lower overall greenhouse gas emissions (LA Times, 1). A similar effect would be reached through a reduction in overall dairy consumption. However, for health reasons this is not a popular or feasible recommendation the way that reducing red meat consumption is. Further, politicians and lobbyists are reluctant to take on the cattle industry because â€Å"it is extremely hazardous for politicians to take on the U. S. beef industry† (LA Times, 1). Therefore, researchers are being forced to develop ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions even as the demand for meat and dairy continues to increase. Cows have â€Å"four stomachs† and the â€Å"first stomach is called the rumen† and this is where the methane problem lies (LA Times, 1). â€Å"The bacteria in the rumen produce methane† that is released through both ends of the cow (LA Times, 1). Scientists are currently working on a type of feed that are more â€Å"energy efficient and generate less methane† as well as experimenting in order to â€Å"produce a less gassy breed of cattle† (LA Times, 1). As mentioned in the beginning of the paper, researchers are also scrambling to devise ways to reduce the contribution of manure to the overall greenhouse gas emission problem such as â€Å"storage methods and temperature† (LA Times, 1). This correlates with the research studies presented in the beginning of the paper because this research supports the notion that finding better storage methods and controlling the overall temperature of the manure can have a positive effect on the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Conclusions The majority of attention has been placed on the role that automobiles and airplanes play in degrading the integrity of the environment. However, few people realize the negative impact that the livestock industry has on the overall quality of the environment. It is much harder to place blame on human activity associated with driving and flying and ignoring the impact that human activity with regards to eating has on the environment. As the demand for quality beef and dairy products continues to increase so will the greenhouse gases emitted by increasing numbers of cattle herds. Humans can help reduce this impact by cutting their red meat consumption and making more sustainable choices with regards to their eating habits. This can go a long way towards improving the situation while scientists work diligently towards creating a solution that will ensure that beef demands be met while also reducing overall impact on the earth. Bartle, John R. â€Å"The Sustainable Development of U. S. Air Travel. † Public Works Management and Policy 10. 3 (2006): 214 – 224. Environmental Protection Agency. â€Å"Greenhouse Gas Emissions. † 2009. 27 April 2009 http://www. epa. gov/climatechange/emissions/index. html. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. â€Å"Livestock a Major Threat to Environment. 29 Nov 2006. 27 April 2009 http://www. fao. org/newsroom/en/news/2006/1000448/index. html. Hao, Xiying; Chang, Chi; Larney, Francis J. â€Å"Carbon, Nitrogen Balances and Greenhouse Gas Emission During Cattle Feedlot Manure Composting. † Journal of Environmental Quality 33. 1 (2004): 37 – 45. Hao, Xiying; Chang, Chi; Larney, Francis J. Travis, Greg R. â€Å"Greenhouse Gas Emissions during Cattle Feedlot Manure Composting. † Journal of Environmental Quality 30. 2 (2001): 376 – 387. LA Times. â€Å"Killer Cow Emissions. † LA Times 15 Oct 2007. 27 April 2009 http://articles. latimes. com/2007/oct/15/opinion/ed-methane15.

Monday, January 20, 2020

The Cancer of Ebonics :: Expository Exemplification Essays

The Cancer of Ebonics        Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   American society has made concessions for many groups of people with special interests, such as animal activists, environmental activists and a host of ethnic groups. Tough animal rights laws have been passed to ensure the safety and future of a variety of species ranging from the domestic cat to the bald eagle. The development of Wetlands has been curtailed in an effort to protect our swamps and forests from extinction. Our educational system has implemented a program known as, English As a Second Language, which lends itself to the special needs of immigrants in our school systems. This program offers extra tutoring and extra time on tests for immigrants who primarily speak a language other than English. Dudley Scholarship and Bethel Foundation Scholarship, along with over twelve-hundred others, have been created exclusively for minorities in an effort to encourage furthering their education. A list of these scholarships can be found in Directory of Financial A ids for Minorities, 1993-1995. In an effort to promote equal opportunity in the work place, the United States Government adopted the Affirmative Action program, which forces companies to place a certain number of minorities within their work force. Now, some politicians and educators in this country want to make concessions for those Americans who have grown up learning to speak what some people call street slang, as opposed to speaking standard English, which at last I heard was still America's primary language. According to Caroline Boarder, a political columnist, a program known as Ebonics has been introduced in Oakland, Ca., as a way to bridge the gap between black English or bad English-speaking students and standard English-speaking students in an effort to raise reading and writing test scores of African Americans. She also states that the Oakland school board contends that this bridge is necessary because the speaking of Ebonics is genetically related to African Americans. ( Educators Sound Off on Ebonics, Washington Post, Jan 97) This hypothesis suggests that black students are incapable of learning the English language through conventional teaching methods, and we must devise an easier way to teach them. I encourage every tax paying American citizen to take a close look at this program; after all, it is you who will be paying the bill for its implementation. I agree with politicians and educators who have at least acknowledged the fact that our education system needs an effective way to instill proper English in all students across the country regardless of their race, but is Ebonics the answer?

Sunday, January 12, 2020

Final Reflection on Professional Development Progress Essay

Special education over decades poses daunting challenge to practitioners because of the nature of the special need children involved. As a consequence, there has been a need for special education specialists to develop professionally to tackle the challenge of special needs children in order to produce a desired outcome. In this regard, this paper follows on my reflection on the professional development progress in terms of my benefits of the course and impact on my values, knowledge, skills and beliefs. To start with, it is important for me to acknowledge and appreciate that learner with special needs exhibits physical, sensory, learning, emotional, and cognitive inadequacies that hampered them from normal learning (Norlander, 2005). These inadequacies give the field of special education its distinctiveness and uniqueness as a special branch of education that deals with learners with special needs that are considered to be deviate them from the societal norm. I have also discovered that, special needs children have behaviors which fall into the more extreme behavioral categories. The extreme behavior exhibited by the children with special needs call for extended tolerance and understanding from a care giver or teacher than normal children. As a result, the children with special needs as I have learned, require special considerations, patience and more time than there normal counterparts. Therefore, these children at best they need personalized behavioral support from the teachers or instructors due to diversity of their needs. Evident to me is that there are various general changes in the field of special education in relation to attaining quality education for learners with special needs. First, despite existence of established laws since 19th century that aim at protect and guide Special education for students with special needs (McComas, 2007), these legislations have not yet been fully implemented nor have they been accorded required federal government support. Second, the policies and findings available to better educational outcomes for the students with special needs have not been functional because of limited resources needed for implementation due categorical funding accrued to IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) loophole to recognize special services provision cost (Norlander, 2005). Third, contrary to IDEA recommendations for Individualized Education Programs (IEP) special learners, proves to be difficult to implement for special education teachers because learners’ needs are several and nature of their disabilities are diverse to be fully met. Fourth, parental involvement in designing and development of evaluation and consent to placement, IEP learning programs and proposed actions is seriously challenged by the fact the parents are ignorant of their rights yet they need to be involved. Fifth, despite learners with special needs desire to transit to normal class settings, the teachers deny them opportunity due to lack of modality to do so. And lastly, the requirement by IEP for the special education teachers to provide for socialization and mental health proves a tough task since instructors might not measure up to the needed know how and competencies required (McComas, 2007). I can sum the challenges that face special education field as those that are caused by constitutional, structural and fundamental issues that I believe can be addressed to improve special education outcomes. Professionally, there are a number of tangible and essential principles that I have gained in relation of instructional approach for learners with special needs. The critical content design and instructional areas of interest that can better education outcome is grounded in the following essential principles such as selection of a wide range of instructional and assessment strategies for special need learners while emphasizing on curriculum based assessment, progress monitoring and early intervention. Secondly, I realize there is need for special education instructors and teachers to differentiate between accommodations and modification in respect to their use in developing IEPs for these needy learners. Thirdly, special education stakeholders ought to understand the IEP process in accordance with IEP Resource Guide of 2004 (Norlander, 2005) in relation to IEP’s development, implementation, reviewing and updating to take into account societal dynamism. This third principle is vital in the sense that the quality outcome of any given program can only be guaranteed and enhanced by quality process denoting that â€Å"process is priori of outcome†. Fourth, since our globe is moving fast technology wise, therefore input of assistive technology in designing instruction to learners with special needs should be employed to improve content cues delivery by the teachers and content mastery by the learners. The above discussed principle are essential component that the professionals ought to use to enhance improved special education standards in regard to achieving resource based and leaner centered approach in teaching and learning of students with special needs. My new dimension of reasoning in regard to content delivery is centered on the use of effective communication as a vital tool of design for teaching students with special needs to attain effective learning. Am now of opinion that the role of effective communication in instructional practices of children with special need should be emphasized because learning is an interactive process that rely on communication utilization between the teacher and the learners. Therefore use of effective communication by professional teacher help to develop unique sense of confidence of students that facilitate classroom adjustment and students’ involvement and participation in the learning process. As a result, the special need students are motivated extrinsically for effective learning. Additionally, effective communication helps to arrest shyness and nervousness, thereby improving self image of special need student as they are to express their feelings expansive and better manner (McComas, 2007). Moreover, social adjustment aspect can too be catered for through effective communication enabling these children develop an impressive personality to be able to understand each other and their peers, be active learners, raise their performance in academics; thus lead them towards success path. Therefore, the essence of effective communication for the children content delivery and classroom interaction I will never ignored in the sense that it assists in elimination of learners’ negative perception that they are stereotyped, stigmatized and discriminated against by society hampering their academic success. Moreover, classroom management by the teachers of children with special need is supposed to be more focused on the diverse needs exhibited by learners to achieve desired educational goals in line with IEPs. However, in the process of catering for the different needs of these students, as a teacher I should acknowledge the fact that children with special needs have extreme behaviors that requires tolerance, patience and understanding, therefore, I should be careful and avoid emotions while employing reason to be able to say no, to be firm, to ignore malicious overtures, to restricting rewards and punish bad behavior, and reinforcing the good behaviors. By doing this, as a teacher I shall have appropriate approach as far as balancing between instilling discipline and child’s cognitive, affective and psychomotor development. In conclusion, the paper has presented my personal reflection on the professional development in relation to special education training. My perception has changed by learning that there are many challenges facing special education. However, I believe that through constitutional and structural approaches, solutions will be found to enhance effective special education programs that carters for vast majority of students with special needs. Above, I have discovered critical aspects as creation of positive learning environment reflecting diversity, organizing class to allow student work independently along with personalized attention and relevance of teaching content and resources to provide for all learners with special needs as secrete and key to effective classroom management. As a consequence of such training, profession wise I have developed key competencies in instructional design and delivery, teaching skills, increased knowledge of other cultures, how to enhance my students’ experiences of other cultures, needed and necessary collaboration with others, language improvement, inter-cultural and diversity teaching and classroom management. Therefore, my professional contribution to improvement of special education means advocating for change accordance with IEPs, utilize learner centered learning (Norlander, 2005) while emphasizing on child’s growth and development, use of effective communication, involving and engaging learners in the learning process as much as possible. By doing this, then I shall be maximizing on the information gathered and skills acquired. Reference Norlander, A. K. (2005). Shifting paradigms in school environments for Learners with disabilities: New York, Routledge McComas, F. J. (2007) â€Å"Barriers and facilitators to inclusive education of Exceptional† Exceptional Children 23(1), 100-109

Saturday, January 4, 2020

Money Cant Buy Happiness Essay - 1163 Words

Since man invented money, the question has been asked: Can money buy happiness? Recently, research has given us a much better understanding of the relationship between what we earn and how we feel. Economists have been studying the links between income and happiness across nations, and psychologists have performed innumerable studies to discover our true feelings about money. Studies consistently show that people who agree with statements like â€Å"You will buy things just because you want them,† tend to be less satisfied with life, less happy, and more likely to be depressed. But, just like studies examining the connection between success and happiness, many of the findings are correlational. As a result we can’t say for sure that†¦show more content†¦Then, after about a week, the same participants were given back their own descriptions of their purchases and asked to reflect on it. Again, they were asked to report on their feelings in the moment. Comparing these two groups provided a way of comparing how participants felt about two different types of purchases. The results showed that participants felt better when they were contemplating their experiential purchases than their material purchases. Thinking about experience As a result of this experiment, Van Boven Gilovich predicted that people spend more time overall contemplating their experiential rather than material purchases. To test this out they asked participants to think about experiential and material purchases they were particularly happy with. Then they were asked which they thought about more often. The results clearly showed it was the experiential purchases people thought about more often (83%). Why do experiences fare better than possessions? It seems, then, that at some level we understand that our experiential purchases give us more pleasure than our material purchases. But why is that? Van Boven (2005) suggests three reasons: 1. Experiences improve with time (possessions don’t). The reason why experiences improve with time may be because it is possible to think about experiences in a more abstract manner than possessions. For example if you think back to a fantastic summer from your youth, you mightShow MoreRelatedMoney Cant Buy Happiness1223 Words   |  5 PagesIt’s Your Choice: Money or Happiness. Although some may view money as just a material object, it is one of the few things that is used on an every day basis. Whether one has enough to spare or not, it is something that many people strive for. The possession of money and the constant struggle people face to get it is something that most certainly takes a toll on the characters of Henrik Ibsen’s play, â€Å"A Doll House.† Throughout the course of the play, it seems as if every character makes an importantRead MoreThe Article Don t Indulge945 Words   |  4 Pageswe are satisfied with our happiness? The question never arose until someone mentions it to you. What will make you happiest? I agree with the article â€Å"Don’t Indulge. Be Happy.† by Dunn and Norton who state that what we do with our money plays more of an important role to our happiness than how much money we make. Throughout the article it made me realize things I never really payed any attention to, like the fact that money canâ €™t buy happiness. No matter how much money we make, no matter how richRead MoreMoney Can Buy Happiness945 Words   |  4 PagesCan money buy you happiness? It is a classical debate, sparked by the left-wing communists and religious leaders who suggest that a person can live a full life without the pursuit of money, and instead one must look to a more spiritual existence above the material desires. It is perhaps conceivable in a century gone by where people grew all their food and believed in witches, that a human could forge a fulfilling existence without the need of money to satisfy our desires. However in today’s societyRead MoreMoney and Happiness1743 Words   |  7 PagesCan Money Buy Happiness In todays materialistic world, the phrase that ‘money cant buy happiness is tending to be proved hence otherwise. Social research and surveys have shown results based on an individuals income, health and the political scenario which is dominant in his or her region. It is quite obvious that the gap between the privileged and the not so is growing into a great divide giving rise to different class and status, thus defining ones social circle. It should therefore be understoodRead MoreMoney Can Buy Happiness1523 Words   |  7 PagesHappiness is a mental state of well-being characterized by positive emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy†. Notice that happiness is within the range of contentment to intense joy. Every single thing in the world which brings contentment or joy costs money and therefore, it is money which brings happiness. Nothing can be yours without money being spent either by the person experiencing this happiness, or by others spending money so that they can be happy. For example, even peopleRead MoreThe Question As Old As Money Itself : Can It Buy Happiness?1248 Words   |  5 PagesThe Question As Old As Money Itself: Can It Buy Happiness? Money is an enigma; it can drive people to perform great or horrible things. It is not clearly positive or negative. It is essentially the engine of our world, giving everyone an incentive to either work or die. Numerous people devote their entire lives to money, as soon as they can they get a part time job at a local store or restaurant, attend a school for something that they know will be lucrative, work a high-income, albeit tedious, 9-5Read MoreDoes Money Bring You Happiness?967 Words   |  4 Pages Does Money Bring You Happiness? How would be your life if you were a millionaire? I am completely sure; you would live in a deluxe villa in the center of the city. You won’t only be disquieted for your safety needs; but also, be able to meet your luxury needs. You would spend your holidays in best places in the world. If you have lots of money, you would provide the best facilities for your family and try to make a pleasant life for them. Money can solve almost all of our problems and help us forRead MoreMoney Can t Buy Everything Essay1134 Words   |  5 PagesMoney Can’t Buy Everything What is the necessity of money in life? Does it truly bring us happiness? How much do I want or need the comforts of material objects in my life? There is a famous song from Chris Janson that does a pretty good job of summing it up. Chris says Money can t buy happiness, but it can buy me a boat. I would agree with this! I like to believe that I am a family man. Families are an essence of life. I feel the root of all happiness begins within the wall of your own home.Read MoreAn Essay About Happiness, Money, And Culture962 Words   |  4 Pagesever felt happy when you came across money? Have you heard that saying money can’t buy you happiness? How did you felt when you came across money? Sad? Happy? Confused? When you think about happiness do you involved it with money? Well, here it is something to think about. Steve R. Baumgardner and Marie K. Crothers are the authors of Positive Psychology and wrote an essay about happiness, money, and culture. In Positive Psychology, the es say of â€Å"Happiness, Money, and Culture† this essay uses, rhetoricalRead More can money buy happiness Essay688 Words   |  3 Pages In today’s materialistic world, the phrase that ‘money can’t buy happiness’ is tending to be proved hence otherwise. Social research and surveys have shown results based on an individuals income, health and the political scenario which is dominant in his or her region. It is quite obvious that the gap between the privileged and the not so is growing into a great divide giving rise to different class and status, thus defining ones social circle. It should therefore be understood how an individuals