Nitrate Contamination Of Groundwater Poses A Serious Health Threat Nit

Nitrate Contamination of Groundwater Poses a Serious Health Threat Nitrates contamination of the world's underground water supply poses as a potentially serious health hazard to the human inhabitants on earth. High nitrate levels found in well water has been proven to be the cause for numerous health conditions across the globe. If we intend to provide for the future survival of man, and life on planet earth, we must take action now to assure the quality of one of our most precious resources, our underground water supply. Ground water can be defined as the water stored in the open spaces within underground rocks and unconsolidated material (Monroe and Wicander 420). Ground water is one of the numerous parts that make up the hydrologic cycle. The primary source of water in underground aquifers is precipitation that infiltrates the ground and moves through the soil and pore spaces of rocks (Monroe and Wicander 420). There are also other sources that add water to the underground aqu ifer that include: water infiltrating from lakes and streams, recharge ponds, and wastewater treatment systems. As groundwater moves through the soil, sediment, and rocks, many of its impurities are filtered out. Take note, however, that some, not all, soils and rocks are good filters. Some are better than others and in some cases, serious pollutants are not removed from the water before it reaches the underground supply. Now that we have a good working definition of what groundwater is, and where it comes from, just how important is it? Groundwater makes up about 22% of the worlds supply of fresh water. Right now, groundwater accounts for 20% of all the water used annually in the United States. On a national average, a little more than 65% of the groundwater in the United States each year goes to irrigation, with industrial use second, and third is domestic use (Monroe and Wicander 420). Some states are more dependent on groundwater for drinking than others. Nebraska and the corn belt states rely on underground water for 85% of their drinking needs, and in Florida 90% of all drinking water comes from underground aquifers (Funk and Wagnall 2). People on the average in the United States require more than 50 gallons of water each day for personal and household uses. These include drinking, washing, preparing meals and removing waste. A bath in a bathtub uses approximately 25 gallons of water and a shower uses about l5 gallons per minute of water flow while the shower runs. Just to sustain human tissue requires about 2.5 quarts of water per day. Most people drink about a quart of water per day, getting the rest of the water they need from food content. Most of the foods we eat are comprised mostly of water: for example, eggs, are about 74% water, watermelon 92%, and a piece of lean meat about 70%. Most of the beverages we drink are also mostly comprised of water, like milk, coffee, tea and soft drinks. And the single largest consumer of water in the United Stat es, is agriculture. In dry areas, farmers must irrigate their lands to grow crops. It is estimated that in the United States, more than 100 billion gallons of fresh water are used each day for the irrigation of croplands (Funk and Wagnall 2). Since agriculture is the leading user of our groundwater, perhaps it is fitting, that it is also the biggest contributor of contaminating nitrates that work into our water supply each year. Agriculture and livestock production account for 80% of all nitrogen added to the environment ( Terry, et al. 1996). Industrial fertilizers make up 53%, animal manure 27%, atmosphere 14%, and point source 6% (Puckett, 1994). Just how do these nitrates get from the field into our water supply? There are two primary reasons that nitrate contaminates reach our underground water supply and make it unsafe. Number one reason is farmer's bad habits of consistently over- fertilizing and applying too much nitrogen to the soil. In 1995 America's agricultural produ cers added 36 billion pounds of nitrogen into the environment, 23 billion pounds of supplemental industrial nitrogen, and 13 billion pounds of extra nitrogen in the form of animal manure. Twenty percent of Nitrate Contamination Of Groundwater Poses A Serious Health Threat Nit Nitrate Contamination of Groundwater Poses a Serious Health Threat Nitrates contamination of the world's underground water supply poses as a potentially serious health hazard to the human inhabitants on earth. High nitrate levels found in well water has been proven to be the cause for numerous health conditions across the globe. If we intend to provide for the future survival of man, and life on planet earth, we must take action now to assure the quality of one of our most precious resources, our underground water supply. Ground water can be defined as the water stored in the open spaces within underground rocks and unconsolidated material (Monroe and Wicander 420). Ground water is one of the numerous parts that make up the hydrologic cycle. The primary source of water in underground aquifers is precipitation that infiltrates the ground and moves through the soil and pore spaces of rocks (Monroe and Wicander 420). There are also other sources that add water to the underground aqu ifer that include: water infiltrating from lakes and streams, recharge ponds, and wastewater treatment systems. As groundwater moves through the soil, sediment, and rocks, many of its impurities are filtered out. Take note, however, that some, not all, soils and rocks are good filters. Some are better than others and in some cases, serious pollutants are not removed from the water before it reaches the underground supply. Now that we have a good working definition of what groundwater is, and where it comes from, just how important is it? Groundwater makes up about 22% of the worlds supply of fresh water. Right now, groundwater accounts for 20% of all the water used annually in the United States. On a national average, a little more than 65% of the groundwater in the United States each year goes to irrigation, with industrial use second, and third is domestic use (Monroe and Wicander 420). Some states are more dependent on groundwater for drinking than others. Nebraska and the corn belt states rely on underground water for 85% of their drinking needs, and in Florida 90% of all drinking water comes from underground aquifers (Funk and Wagnall 2). People on the average in the United States require more than 50 gallons of water each day for personal and household uses. These include drinking, washing, preparing meals and removing waste. A bath in a bathtub uses approximately 25 gallons of water and a shower uses about l5 gallons per minute of water flow while the shower runs. Just to sustain human tissue requires about 2.5 quarts of water per day. Most people drink about a quart of water per day, getting the rest of the water they need from food content. Most of the foods we eat are comprised mostly of water: for example, eggs, are about 74% water, watermelon 92%, and a piece of lean meat about 70%. Most of the beverages we drink are also mostly comprised of water, like milk, coffee, tea and soft drinks. And the single largest consumer of water in the United Stat es, is agriculture. In dry areas, farmers must irrigate their lands to grow crops. It is estimated that in the United States, more than 100 billion gallons of fresh water are used each day for the irrigation of croplands (Funk and Wagnall 2). Since agriculture is the leading user of our groundwater, perhaps it is fitting, that it is also the biggest contributor of contaminating nitrates that work into our water supply each year. Agriculture and livestock production account for 80% of all nitrogen added to the environment ( Terry, et al. 1996). Industrial fertilizers make up 53%, animal manure 27%, atmosphere 14%, and point source 6% (Puckett, 1994). Just how do these nitrates get from the field into our water supply? There are two primary reasons that nitrate contaminates reach our underground water supply and make it unsafe. Number one reason is farmer's bad habits of consistently over- fertilizing and applying too much nitrogen to the soil. In 1995 America's agricultural produ cers added 36 billion pounds of nitrogen into the environment, 23 billion pounds of supplemental industrial nitrogen, and 13 billion pounds of extra nitrogen in the form of animal manure. Twenty percent of

Alternattive fuel sources essays

Alternattive fuel sources essays In 1973 OPEC held the world hostage. They arbitrarily put the world in gasoline crisis causing everyone to come to a complete stand still. One of the outcomes of the oil crises of the seventies is that the United States decided that they could not put all of our fuel eggs into one fossil basket. Alternative fuel sources must be developed to carry the world into the next generation. Thirty-Two years later, we are back in the same oil crisis situation, but now its even more dangerous since the amount of oil that is being consumed is far greater that the amount that can be refined. Why has the development of alternative fuels sources come to a complete standstill, causing us to go through the same thing today that we went through back in the seventies? 1973 brought widespread panic to the nation, with the onset of an international oil embargo. Middle Eastern countries, wrought with long standing religious and political conflict, cut off exports of petroleum to many Western Nations, including the United States, in anger over their involvement in the Arab-Israeli conflicts. The resounding impact in the United States of this embargo was compounded by weak national policies on energy issues, as well as generally high consumption levels and panic-stricken investors. Therefore, oil prices skyrocketed, the term Mideast Oil Crisis was born, and the effects gained momentum. Prices for gas rose significantly, longer lines appeared at the filling stations, and Gas Stations shut down because of shortages. Shortly after the Oil Crisis full size luxury gas eating cars became undesirable, and many Americans turned to buy smaller European and Japanese cars. Everyone was looking for ways to avoid the financial impact of the crisis by finding ca rpools and mass transit options. There was such a fear of a dependence on foreign oil that the federal approved the development of the Trans-Alaska Pi...

Compare Cubic Zirconia and Diamond

Compare Cubic Zirconia and Diamond Cubic zirconia or CZ is the crystalline manmade form of zirconium dioxide, ZnO2. Zirconium dioxide is also known as zirconia. Ordinarily, zirconia would form monoclinic crystals. A stabilizer (yttrium oxide or calcium oxide) is added to cause zirconia to form cubic crystals, hence the name cubic zirconia. Properties of Cubic Zirconia The optical and other properties of CZ depend on the recipe used by the manufacturer, so there is some degree of variation between cubic zirconia stones. Cubic zirconia typically fluoresces yellowish green to gold under shortwave ultraviolet light. Cubic Zirconia Versus Diamond In general, CZ exhibits more fire than a diamond because it has a higher dispersion. However, it has a lower index of refraction (2.176) than that of diamond (2.417). Cubic zirconia is easily distinguished from diamond because the stones are essentially flawless, have a lower hardness (8 on the Mohs scale compared with 10 for diamond), and CZ is about 1.7 time more dense than diamond. Additionally, cubic zirconia is a thermal insulator, while diamond is an extremely efficient thermal conductor. Colored Cubic Zirconia The ordinarily clear crystal may be doped with rare earths to produce colored stones. Cerium yields yellow, orange and red gems. Chromium produces green CZ. Neodymium makes purple stones. Erbium is used for pink CZ. And titanium is added to make golden yellow stones. Difference Between Cubic Zirconia and Cubic Zirconium | Diamond Chemistry

How has social Merida use as a marketing and distribution tool changed Dissertation

How has social Merida use as a marketing and distribution tool changed the way we consume audio visual media, and what effect ha - Dissertation Example Moreover, the aim of the study which has been achieved was to understand social media as a marketing and distribution tool. Using an interview question based on 11 questions, 8 respondents from UK, the study found that social media has brought a major influence on each of the music industry players, artists, distributors and audiences. Some of the respondents including artists and listeners described about social media positive influence, while the others like distributors claimed that social media has negatively affected them. The study concludes that that social media has become one prominent element in the music industry and it’s affects on participants of the industry are quite prominent. Affects like artist promotion and free access download for listeners are quite prevalent through social media on music industry. Table of Contents Acknowledgement 2 Abstract 3 Chapter 1: Introduction 6 Chapter 2: Literature Review 11 Chapter 3: Research Methodology 23 Chapter 4: Findings and Discussion 29 Chapter 5: Conclusion and Recommendations 41 List of References 44 Appendix A: Interview Guideline 46 Chapter 1: Introduction 1.1. ... The research done by Kaplan & Haenlein (2010) illustrates that the older forms of media were not communication but in fact were information channels, where one would deliver and the rest would simply listen. What social media has done is that it has initiated two sided communication, where the listener can be the speaker or deliverer at the same time. Kaplan and Haenlein (2010) define that â€Å"Social media is a group of internet based applications that builds on the ideological and technological foundations of Web 2.0, and it allows the creation and exchange of user-generated content†. The term Web 2.0 refers to websites with which users can connect to the World Wide Web, and the content available on the website is not restricted to a single source or person (Kaplan & Haenlein, 2010). Social media has not only changed the way people used to interact or share their feelings and experience, but has changed the way people used to perceive, behave and act. Margiotta (2012) under lines the fact that with such easy access to information and other people, it is hard to confine them to a single brand, a single website or a single interest. The time when sellers used to dominate and purchasers used to follow them is way gone. With the power of social media, the table has been turned a whole 180 degree, and brand loyalty is diminished by the emergence of customer interest and satisfaction. Also, it is evident that with greater awareness of products in the market, through word of mouth and blogging on the social media websites, it is now far more difficult to expect users to follow the sellers (Margiotta, 2012). It has been found by several researchers including Elberse (2010), Noteberg

The Success of Family Run Tourism Agency Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Success of Family Run Tourism Agency - Essay Example The essay "The Success of Family Run Tourism Agency" analyzes what a tourism as a family run business needs to be, aims to gauge the extent of the influence of the external factors that have a considerable impact on the family run business and examines the factors which may hinder the success of the family run tourism agency.Information technology has facilitated wider options of holiday destinations to the common man and travel agencies have made it easier for him to go too far flung places by providing the necessary appendages like accommodation, transport etc. In fact ‘consumers are now able to put together more flexible packages via the internet’. At the same time, globalization has dramatically changed the lifestyle of the people. It has brought in a new dimension of work culture and an inherent competition that is both invigorating as well as stressful. The attractive vacation packages which are highly de-stressing in content would be greatly in demand as they woul d rejuvenate body and mind so people can come back to take up their professional life with renewed vigor and enthusiasm.Tourism industry’s challenge is to provide increased value for money either through innovation–driven cost reducing changes in production and marketing processes or through product changes providing more varied tourism experiences. Holidays have always held a special charm for the young and the old alike. Krippendorf says ‘travel is: recuperation and regeneration, restoring body and soul’.

Euthanasia (Mercy Killing) Essay Example for Free

Euthanasia (Mercy Killing) Essay The topic I chose is Euthanasia (mercy killing) should be permitted in cases of terminally ill patients. Euthanasia is from the Greek word to die well. In other words, a good death. Some people call it the act of killing a person who suffers from a mental or physician condition. Mercy Killing, is another name for it. Euthanasia (mercy killing) or physician-assisted suicide/PAS, is a confusing and heart-wrenching issue for many. We are all likely to face difficult end-of-life choices at some point, whether for ourselves or for a loved one. I know for me that this is a very hard decision, as much as I would like to be support Euthanasia or physician-assisted suicide/PAS, I could not allow this to be done because of the moral issues and it’s against what GOD stands for. One shot is all it takes to kill a loved adored family member. But is an injection of death a good way to die? With lack of judgment and a bad day someone could be killed. Euthanasia or physician-assisted suicide/PAS is putting people to sleep just like you would put to sleep your dog when he gets too old. Where do we draw the line between murder and helping patients? Is a doctor putting patience to sleep considered murder? Who makes that decision? I watched my sister suffer with pancreatic cancer from the time that she was diagnosed until she passed away. Every time she went for her chemotherapy treatments and returned home, she was sick to the point that she just stopped going places and doing things with the family. I can remember the call that I received from my niece, when they had left the doctor’s office and he had inform them, that there was nothing else that they could do. The cancer has spread through the stomach lining. At that point my sister made the decision to stop the chemotherapy and the doctor put her and family in touch with Hospice. I can still remember the comment that was made by the nurse, â€Å"we are here to make her comfortable living with cancer not to help her die†. By legalizing assisted suicide could send us down a road from which there is no return. We can do far more to aid suffering patients by improving pain management and mental health care through legislative reform than we can by legalizing their self-destruction. I did not expect to get the results that I did receive on Euthanasia (mercy killings) or physician-assisted suicide/PAS. I would like to say that the split was 30/70, which was very surprising to me because I was thinking that the split would have been 50/50. After taking the survey, I found out that most people are against Euthanasia (mercy killings). Based on the comments that I received from my survey, regarding mercy killings and how it was against GOD’s commandments, while others stated that people should not have to suffer and be in pain all their life if there is n o cure for their disease. But just think is an injection of death a good way to die? With lack of judgment and a bad day someone could be killed and how do you bring them back or even live with it. As much as we do not want to see our love ones suffer and be in pain, I just don’t believe I could go through Euthanasia with any of my family members. As much as I may love them I can’t have their death on my hands. Euthanasia (mercy killings) or physician-assisted suicide/PAS, is a decision that you will have to live for the rest of your life. Even though that love one may be suffering and in pain, can you really honestly say that you could be responsible for helping them to die and is this something that you will be able to live with yourself for the rest of your life. Its important to understand the distinction between the terms assisted suicide and euthanasia. The former describes a situation where the doctor (or some other agent) provides the means for a patient to commit suicide, but the patient follows through on the final act himself. Euthanasia, on the other hand, is carried out from beginning to end by a doctor on the patients behalf. In the wake of the Schiavo case, there was much debate over the question of care for the severely handicapped or terminally ill, and what exactly those appropriate levels of care were. At the base level is ordinary care—generally speaking, that which any prudent person would administer in similar circumstances. It could include keeping the room at a comfortable temperature, providing attentive human contact, and ensuring that the patient has enough to eat and drink. Ordinary care is considered mandatory by the Catholic Church. Proportionate treatment (or proportionate means), which is also mandatory, is any medical action that meets all of the following three criteria: (1) It has a reasonable chance of curing the patient or assisting with the cure; (2) it does not carry a significant risk of death; and (3) it does not, in and of itself, present an excessive burden. For example, a sterile blood transfusion during surgery would be considered proportionate treatment, as the risk and burden involved are relatively low compared with its curative potential. Disproportionate means, on the other hand, are not mandatory. If any treatment would present an excessive burden—in terms of finances, emotions, religious beliefs, or the pain of the procedure—or fail to offer a reasonable chance of curing the patient, it is optional. Withdrawing disproportionate treatment is an act that, according to Dr. Kathleen Foley, former chief of pain service at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, respects [the] patie nts autonomous decision not to be battered by medical technology (Competent Care for the Dying Instead of Physician-Assisted Suicide, New England Journal of Medicine). There comes a time when continued attempts to cure are neither compassionate, wise, nor medically sound. Palliative care refers to the alleviation of pain or other symptoms, though some expand the definition to include the provision of mental, emotional, and spiritual support. A caregiver is required to offer palliative care—or at least pain management—as far as he is able, but it is not mandatory for a patient to accept. In fact, as Pope John Paul II said in The Gospel of Life, it is even licit to relieve pain by narcotics, even when the result isa shortening of life, if no other means exist. The issue of artificial nutrition and hydration is not fully defined; the question is currently being examined by the Magisterium, but the most recent pronouncement came from John Paul II himself in March 2004, when he stated that it is immoral to remove a feeding tube from anyone in a persistent vegetative state, calling it euthanasia by omission. Outside of a vegetative state, however, there are situations where a feeding tube would become burdensome and thus constitute disproportionate care—as in the case of a person dying from advanced stomach cancer—so these decisions must be made prudently on a case-by-case basis. For more information on this issue, visit www.euthanasia.com. For frequent updates on current court cases and legislation, checkwww.internationaltaskforce.org, and www.lifenews.com/bioethics.html. Once youve been armed with the latest facts and information, youre ready to begin the discussion. Strategy No. 1: Oppose the Status Quo of End-of-Life Pain Management First, we must recognize a basic truth: Patients in our medical system often have insufficient access to pain relief. Therefore, its vital to support increased patients rights, including access to health insurance, a choice in doctors, the latitude to see an independent specialist, open access to all of ones personal medical records, and the right to use palliative treatments. Its equally important to support the right of doctors to manage their patients pain properly without fear of government interference and prosecution. The issue of pain is an emotionally striking one, so its comforting to know that pain can be controlled. According to a report by the New York State Task Force on Life and the Law titled When Death Is Sought: Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia in the Medical Context, Modern pain relief techniques can alleviate pain in all but extremely rare cases. In fact, according to Dr. Eric M. Chevlen, the director of palliative care at St. Elizabeth Health Center in Youngstown, Ohio, 90 [percent] of cancer patients in pain can have dramatic relief with relatively simple oral therapies. Dr. Chevlen is also the author of the book Power Over Pain: How to Get the Pain Control You Need (International Task Force, 2002), a useful resource for those suffering due to a lack of proper palliative care. The American Pain Foundation estimates that with todays technology, close to 98 [percent] of all pain problems can be relieved or reduced. But most doctors have never actually studied pain in any detail. According toPain Net Inc., Of all pain practitioners, fewer than 10 [percent] are proficient in more than eight out of 130+ diagnostic or therapeutic procedures relative to pain. For this reason, its important to advocate a greater focus on pain in medical schools and continuing-education courses in pain management for all medical doctors, especially those frequently involved in end-of-life situations. We can also urge recognition for patients rights to see pain-therapy specialists (which some health-care plans are trying to restrict). What cannot be accepted is the notion that assisted suicide is a form of comfort care. Dr. Gregory Hamilton, the chair of Physicians for Compassionate Care, put it bluntly in an article in the Oregonian: Comfort care results in a comfortable patient; assisted suicide results in a corpse. Emphasize the Need to Diagnose and Treat Depression One of the chief arguments for PAS appeals to the American ideal of autonomy. The desire for self-determination resonates strongly with many Democrats, and they believe that the denial of these rights is un-American. Of course, a love of personal freedom is not unique to Democrats, and its easy for anyone to agree that we should have the freedom to live our lives as we see fit. But that freedom must come with restrictions. For example, child pornography is illegal in America—even in the privacy of ones home—and no judicious person would consider it a permissible use of our freedom. Clearly, Americans acknowledge the need to limit certain behaviors. The question is, what actions should be permitted or restricted? The issue of autonomy assumes that the person attempting to exercise his personal freedom can make decisions in a rational manner. But in fact, when it comes to requests for PAS, rational decision-making is rarely in play. Suicidal feelings in a person who has been diagnosed with a terminal illness are no different from those experienced by someone who isnt terminally ill. Depression, family conflict, hopelessness, feelings of abandonment—these are the conditions that lead to suicidal thoughts, regardless of ones physical state. According to the British Journal of Psychiatry and the New York State Task Force, between 93 and 95 percent of those contemplating suicide have a diagnosable mental disorder, most commonly severe depression. Is mental disorder also in play for the terminally ill who request suicide? One study in the American Journal of Psychiatry reported, All of the patients who had either desired premature death or contemplated suicide were judged to be suffering from clinical depressive illness; that is, none of those patients who did not have clinical depression had thoughts of suicide or wished that death would come early. The New York State Task Force report states that depression accompanied by feelings of hopelessness is the strongest predictor of suicide for both individuals who are terminally ill and for those who are not. It is depression or other mental illness, not ones physical condition, that makes a person suicidal. Pain plays an obvious part in this—diagnosable anxiety and depression, for example, are higher in cancer patients with pain. Not only is uncontrolled pain an important risk factor for suicide, in that it contributes to hopelessness and depression, but depression and anxiety can often augment the patients experience of pain. This brings us back to the need for pain therapy. The New York State Task Force report notes that the notion of competence to make treatment decisions, or the capacity to make a particular decisionpresumes that the patient is not clinically depressed. In the presence of clinical depression, there can be no true autonomy, no ability to make a rational decision or a clear, objective request for death. The good news is that mental illness, once diagnosed, is treatable. In a 1992 article for American Medical News suicidologist Dr. David C. Clark observed that depressive episodes in the seriously ill are not less responsive to medication than episodes in those who are not. The same opinion is held by Dr. Joseph Richman, former president of the American Association of Suicidology, who wrote in a letter to the editor of the Journal of Suicide and Life-Threatening Behaviour, Effective psychotherapeutic treatment is possible with the terminally ill. And in testimony to the New York State Task Force in 1992, Dr. William Breitbart of the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center agreed, reporting that more than 80 percent of their patients diagnosed with major depression can be treated effectively. The New York State Task Force report puts the number even higher, saying treatment for depression resulted in the cessation of suicidal ideation for 90 percent of patients. Finally, its important to remember that the desire for suicide is often transient. In a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the cases of 886 people who were rescued from attempted suicides were followed over a five-year period. At the end of those five years, only 34 had since taken their own lives. Where there is depression, there is no true autonomy. Treating patients for pain and depression, as well as other mental illnesses, can eliminate suicidal desires by giving the patient more control. In that way, we can help them achieve self-determination instead of self-destruction. Strategy No. 3: Oppose Discrimination Against the Disabled and the Poor If any one element has stopped PAS bills and ballot measures from becoming the law of the land, it has been the public efforts of activist groups for the disabled such as Not Dead Yet. While groups like the former Hemlock Society (now named Compassion and Choices) were founded on the belief that some lives were not worth living and that they were doing a service to the disabled by expanding their autonomy to include a right to die, this kind of attitude actually betrays a prejudice against the disabled—one that would inevitably make the right to die a duty to die. This sort of prejudice is already seen on the opposite end of the spectrum in the abortion debate. Dr. Anthony Vintzileos, a board member of the American Institute of Ultrasound Medicine, estimated in a May 2005 article for the New Jersey Record that 90 percent of women who receive a prenatal diagnosis of Down syndrome for their children choose to abort. People with disabilities are considered to have no real quality of life, nothing to contribute, and nothing to live for. The poor are also potential targets. Already receiving substandard medical care, the impoverished will be the last to ask for a second opinion, the first to see themselves as worthless, and the most likely to be dismissed as having nothing to contribute to society. If an authority figure were to counsel a poor person to ease the financial burden of medical care on his family through PAS, it would be difficult to say no. Democrats largely identify themselves as friends of the underdog and protectors of the weak. What better way to open their eyes to the injustice of PAS than by pointing out the potential for victimization of the disabled and poor at the hands of an often profit-driven health-care industry? Strategy No. 4: Examine Data from Europe At this point, your interlocutor will likely argue that Doctors would never do that, or that there should be guidelines to make sure that this victimization could never take place. The best response is simply to have a look at euthanasia in Europe (including its legal form in the Netherlands). Many familiar with the history of euthanasia recognize that the idea was a natural outgrowth of social Darwinism, where the strong survive and the weak are left behind. According to the New York State Task Force report, The practice of mass murder in Nazi Germanybegan with the active killing of the severely ill, and built upon earlier proposals advanced by leading German physicians and academics of the 1920s. Like policies currently advocated in the United States, these proposals were limited to the incurably ill, and mandated safeguards such as review panels. R. J. Lifton, author of The Nazi Doctors: Medical Killing and the Psychology of Genocide, is quoted in the report as saying that the phrases life unworthy of life and killing as a therapeutic imperative were vital in soothing the publics conscience when it came to the Nazi program of genocide: The medicalization of killing—the imagery of killing in the name of healing—was crucial to that terrible step. Its ironic that the Netherlands—whose doctors once refused the Nazis genocidal agenda—is now the site of the most extensive assisted suicide and euthanasia program in the world. Though euthanasia was not legalized in the Netherlands until 2002, it was commonly practiced well before then, with almost no danger of prosecution for the doctors performing it. The International Task Force on Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide reports that, according to the Dutch government–sponsored Remmelink Report examining death rates in Holland from 1990: †¢ 2,300 people died through voluntary euthanasia †¢ 400 died through assisted suicide †¢ 1,040 died through involuntary euthanasia—euthanasia was performed without the patients knowledge or consent, even though 72 percent of those patients had never indicated any desire for it †¢ 8,100 died from a deliberate overdose of pain medication to hasten the patients death, though in 61 percent of these cases the patient gave no consent. Of the estimated 130,000 deaths in Holland in 1990, 9.1 percent were the direct result of assisted suicide or euthanasia. And given that these numbers were voluntarily provided by doctors at a time when euthanasia was still technically illegal, its likely that the actual number of deaths through euthanasia was even higher. According to a February 1999 article in the Journal of Medical Ethics, almost 59 percent of euthanasia cases in Holland in 1995 went unreported, in clear violation of the guidelines in place. However, not a single Dutch doctor was prosecuted under the criminal charges of euthanasia, assisted suicide, or anything related. Euthanasia was technically illegal but not prosecuted in the Netherlands for more than a decade. Today, those over 16 can be euthanized for any reason; in certain circumstances, those as young as twelve can opt for euthanasia. Currently, the Netherlands is considering allowing euthanasia for infants, though some Dutch doctors have openly admitted to euthanizing infants already. Those who believe there is no slippery slope need to take another look. And while some may argue that the situation in the Netherlands at least offers patients more options when faced with end-of-life decisions, the reality is just the opposite. Hospice care—palliative centers that make up an important component of end-of-life treatment—is practically nonexistent in Holland. England, for example, had 183 hospices in 1999. The Netherlands, with a quarter of Englands population, had only three. Clearly, with such easy access to euthanasia, little effort is expended to offer alternatives to end-of-life pain management when its not as cost-effective as a quick death. What does this have to do with the United States? Dr. Herbert Hendin, executive director of the American Suicide Foundation, made the connection clear in his 1996 testimony before Congress, wherein he declared that Dutch patients and doctorssee assisted suicide and euthanasia, intended as an unfortunate necessity in exceptional cases, as almost a routine way of dealing with serious or terminal illness. The [American] public has the illusion that legalizing assisted suicide and euthanasia will give them greater autonomy. If the Dutch experience teaches us anything, it is that euthanasia enhances the power and control of doctors who can suggest it, not give patients obvious alternatives, ignore patients ambivalence, and even put to death patients who have not requested it. This is the safety that guidelines provide, as both history and current events have borne out. If we were to open the doors to PAS in the United States, a brave new world of involuntary euthanasia would be inevitable. Strategy No. 5: Oppose Profiteering by Managed-Care Providers If assisted suicide were legalized, managed-care providers would inevitably embrace it as a money-saving technique. The New York State Task Force report states that under anysystem of health care deliveryit will be far less costly to give a lethal injection than to care for a patient throughout the dying process. A 1998 study conducted by Dr. Daniel P. Sulmasy in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that doctors who are cost-conscious and practice resource-conserving medicine were six times more likely to write illegal, lethal prescriptions for their terminally ill patients. Dr. Diane Meier, a former advocate of assisted suicide, said in a 1998 New York Times article, Legalizing assisted suicide would become a cheap and easy way to avoid the costly and time-intensive care needed by the terminally ill. Substantiating this claim is the fact that Oregons Medical Assistance Program (OMAP) for the poor moved to provide physician-assisted suicide to its recipients as soon as the Death with Dignity Act was passed in 1997. Only 18 months later, the OMAP announced plans to cut back on pain medication coverage for the same population. Hospice care has also suffered—the International Task Force reports that one Oregon insurance company has a paltry $1,000 cap on in-home hospice care. With the cost of a lethal overdose running about $35, there would be little motivation to pay any more for palliative treatment. If this is how a liberal, Democratically controlled state government behaves, is there any doubt how profit-minded managed-care providers would react if assisted suicide were legalized throughout the United States? We would begin to see a new stratification of society, where the under-insured would be advised to settle for assisted suicide, while those with better insurance could get the medical assistance they needed. According to the International Task Force, If policies or laws permitting assisted suicide are approved, assisted suicide could become the only type of medical treatment to which certain people—those who are members of minority groups, those who are poor, or those who have disabilities—would have access. The last to receive health care would be the first to receive assisted suicide. The Dead End of Assisted Suicide Legalizing assisted suicide could send us down a road from which there is no return. We can do far more to aid suffering patients by improving pain management and mental health care through legislative reform than we can by legalizing their self-destruction. Euthanasia, in practice, almost inevitably becomes eugenic in nature, which is an affront to the disabled and a serious threat to the lives of the poor and unwanted. Further, the decriminalization of assisted suicide and euthanasia in Europe has produced horrific results that no sane nation would want to imitate. Its a noble impulse that drives Americans to help those struggling through illness and decline, but we cant let the desire to ease anothers suffering lead us to believe that there are quick fixes or easy answers in euthanasia. Instead, we must respond with love, prayer, and compassion—not with murder. As John Paul II wrote in Evangelium Vitae, True compassion leads to sharing another persons pain; it does not kill the person whose suffering we cannot bear.

Violence on Film Essay -- Film Review, Hollywood, Gunfigther

The Western stands as one of the great genres of Hollywood cinema, as it possesses the ability to transcend both time and subject matter. Accordingly, the types of themes which this genres addresses, such as romanticism, and American heroism, can still be seen as viable commodities within modern-day storytelling. However, while The Western has focused on various topics throughout its cinematic history, what ultimately serves as the primary critique of the genre, is the exploration of role of violence and aggression within society (Lusted 16). Furthermore, at the source of this examination is the â€Å"Gunfighter† Western, which centers the focus of the genre to a more individualized and intimate perspective. Accordingly, films such as Henry King’s The Gunfighter (1950) and David Cronanberg’s A History Of Violence (2004) can be observed as examples of this focus. However, while both King and Cronenberg successfully explore the concepts of violence and aggression within their time periods, when examined in terms of their overall effectiveness in exploring the necessity, and ambiguity of these themes, Cronenberg’s willingness to explore the possibility of redemption, is what ultimately makes A History of Violence a more effective and provocative film. As Lusted notes, the Gunfighter Western was one of the first of the genre to be interested â€Å"in the process of change† (Lusted 210). Instead of focusing on such themes as the collective effort of westward expansion, like many of John Ford’s Westerns (Schatz 70-71), the Gunfighter â€Å"turns the genre and its hero inside out,† (Schatz 71) and takes a more introspective look at how violence can be found at the core of social order. To do this, the focus shifts away from films that play on the ... ...oral world. Instead, by allowing the character to live, Cronenberg not only suggests that there’s moral grounding within the use of violence, particularly in terms of its supposed protection towards the progression of society, but also provokes the question,â€Å"just who are we rooting for in this film?† (Beaty 87). Not only does the film force the audience to think about the effects of violence, but questions whether we as an audience, like Tom’s family, can accept violence as an ambiguous method of social order. Ultimately, it’s because of this complex, evocative nature, and the fact that the film questions not only the morality of the characters, but the audience itself, instead of enforcing morality on its audience like in The Gunfighter, that the film succeeds in demonstrating the full specter of violence and aggression, both on screen and in society.

Long distance trade across Afro-Eurasia

Long distance trade really increased in Afro-Eurasia from 500c. e. to 1500c. e. Some of the reasons for the increase included the introduction of camels, transportation with boats, and transportation on the silk roads. Some of these trade routes were easier to transport stuff more efficiently, but they all were used. Firstly, camels were introduced in about 300c. e.. This was a big upgrade from the donkeys because camels could go up to ten days without drinking water. This made trade easier since camels could make the trek across the Sahara and didn’t need much in return as far as water goes.At one point there were up to 5,000 camels used in the transportation of goods across the Sahara. The camels made it so the Sahara was no longer a barrier for trade from north and south of the Sahara. Transportation over water took a major role in transporting goods. People were no longer just trading valuable goods because it was worth the trip, with boats they could haul a lot of cargo s o they could haul items for the middle and lower class. With boats they could haul enough cargo for mass markets and a bunch of different items such as wood and heavier things that camels or donkeys couldn’t carry.Most of the wood could be taken places by the Sahara where they couldn’t get trees to grow to build houses. Lastly, the silk road was a major part of trading because it wasn’t all about just the goods, they got a lot more other things from the different people trading with them. With the silk roads increasing, it allowed little villages to turn into bigger city/states that were mainly based on trade. They could make a lot of money from taxes by charging people that came on the roads through there city for passing.The silk roads were first mainly based off of silk coming out of China, plus gold and spices getting traded for the silk. Most of the goods being traded were of high value, since it was difficult going so far on foot so it had to be worth it i n the end. These topics are why the trade really increased from 500c. e. to 1500c. e. Some of these reasons were due to transportation with camels, transportation with boats, and transportation on the silk road and how all of these helped spring the trading routes in action. These allowed traders to trade more freely and carry more goods efficiently Long distance trade across Afro-Eurasia Long distance trade really increased in Afro-Eurasia from 500c.e. to 1500c.e. Some of the reasons for the increase included the introduction of camels, transportation with boats, and transportation on the silk roads. Some of these trade routes were easier to transport stuff more efficiently, but they all were used.Firstly, camels were introduced in about 300c.e.. This was a big upgrade from the donkeys because camels could go up to ten days without drinking water. This made trade easier since camels could make the trek across the Sahara and didn’t need much in return as far as water goes. At one point there were up to 5,000 camels used in the transportation of goods across the Sahara. The camels made it so the Sahara was no longer a barrier for trade from north and south of the Sahara.Transportation over water took a major role in transporting goods. People were no longer just trading valuable goods because it was worth the trip, with boats they could haul a lot of cargo so th ey could haul items for the middle and lower class. With boats they could haul enough cargo for mass markets and a bunch of different items such as wood and heavier things that camels or donkeys couldn’t carry. Most of the wood could be taken places by the Sahara where they couldn’t get trees to grow to build houses.Lastly, the silk road was a major part of trading because it wasn’t all about just the goods, they got a lot more other things from the different people trading with them. With the silk roads increasing, it allowed little villages to turn into bigger city/states that were mainly based on trade. They could make a lot of money from taxes by charging people that came on the roads through there city for passing. The silk roads were first mainly based off of silk coming out of China, plus gold and spices getting traded for the silk. Most of the goods being traded were of high value, since it was difficult going so far on foot so it had to be worth it in t he end.These topics are why the trade really increased from 500c.e. to 1500c.e. Some of these reasons were due to transportation with camels, transportation with boats, and transportation on the silk road and how all of these helped spring the trading routes in action. These allowed traders to trade more freely and carry more goods efficiently

The “Letter from Birmingham Jail” by the late Martin Luther King

The â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail† by the late Martin Luther King, Jr. is a very inspiring work about injustice, oppression, and fighting for everyone’s rights. He was able to respond to his critics in a manner where he appeared calm and responsible. He laid out all his reasons for his actions and why he was in such a place without becoming angry and bitter at the situation.One example of enthymeme found in his letter is the statement â€Å"I can urge them to disobey segregation ordinances, for they are morally wrong. † This statement is considered as an enthymeme because it has a part of the argument that is missing since this is already assumed. It can be broken down in three parts: laws that are considered morally wrong should not be obeyed by the public; segregation ordinances are morally wrong; thus, segregation ordinances should be disobeyed.He states that segregation allows other people to think that they are superior from others, while some may feel t hat they are much lower than the rest. Another enthymeme is seen on Marin Luther King, Jr. ’s letter, specifically in the 10th paragraph where he talks about opposing to violent tension and â€Å"the need for nonviolent gadflies to create the kind of tension in society†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The assumed premise here is that gadflies have the ability to improve people’s lives.The minor premise is that the author, Martin Luther King, is a gadfly. As such, it is concluded that the author’s efforts will greatly improve the lives of the people. Martin Luther King was able to express his intentions by using logical arguments to persuade his audience. He was effective in his purpose by having clear examples and arguments that answered the questions and concerns of the clergymen who wrote to him.

Renault Story in India Essays

Renault Story in India Essays Renault Story in India Essay Renault Story in India Essay Since 2012 the Indian automobile industry is going through a tumultuous period. Worsening macro-economic conditions within the country, high interest rates and rising input costs are fast eroding the profitability of most of the car manufactures. Despite price cuts and other incentives, car sales in India remained sluggish. Analysts are pointing to a second straight year of declining sales in what was one of the world’s fastest growing auto markets. The slowdown in the overall automobile demand in the country was a concern for the product managers of Renault. Though amidst all the gloom, Renault had some reasons to cheer.Since its launch in summer of 2012, Renault’s compact SUV Duster’s market performance had been far beyond the expectations of the Renault management. After a string of unsuccessful partnerships and product launches, the product managers at Renault had finally managed to launch a product which struck a chord with the Indian consumers. The fact tha t SUVs have been registering good growth in an otherwise somnambulistic car market has clearly helped the Duster’s cause. Yet, there was tremendous hard work put in by the Renault India team to get everything right from the features and mileage to the final price.Now amidst all the economic gloom and slew of fresh competition posed by new launches by Ford and Maruti, the coming year appears to be a much more challenging proposition. Product management team of Duster was poring over the market reports and surveys to figure the next move. 2Renault’s story in India Renault is a French multinational vehicle manufacturer established in 1899 by Louis Renault and his two brothers. The company produces a range of cars and vans, and in the past, trucks, tractors, tanks, buses/coaches and autorail vehicles.In order to better scale up globally and to cross leverage the RD expertise, Renault and Nissan forged a strategic alliance in 1999. The Alliance is a strategic partnership b ased on the rationale that, due to substantial cross-shareholding investments, each company acts in the financial interest of the other- while maintaining individual brand identities and independent corporate cultures. Renault currently has a 44. 4 percent stake in Nissan, and Nissan holds a 15 percent stake in Renault (non-voting, giving Renault effective control). The car group sold 8. million cars worldwide in 2012, behind Toyota, General Motors and Volkswagen for total volume. Renault entered the Indian market much later than the other global competitors. At the time of its entry the Indian market was primarily dominated by small and compact hatchbacks offered by Korean and Indian companies. Maruti along with the Hyundai were the top two manufactures within the country offering slew of models in between the 3-5 lacks segment. Poor road conditions along with the cost conscious customer base posed a significant design and marketing challenge to the car companies to package the rig ht features at an affordable price.In order to crack the Indian auto market puzzle, Renault decided to enter the Indian market in partnership with Mahindra. Together the partner launched Logan which received Logan which met with a mixed response from the Indian market. Logan failed to attract consumers due to its length of fractionally - more than 4 meters - that required a factory gate duty of 22% compared to 10% for the less-than-4 meter cars. The Logan was criticized for its boxy looks and awkward ergonomics. Due to uncompetitive pricing, Logan struggled to sustain volumes and was soon confined only to Taxi segment.After constant tussle between the two partners, Mahindra and Renault decided to cancel their unhappy marriage. Renault temporarily dabbled with the idea of the partnering with Bajaj for a low end car, and then finally decided to go all out alone in the market. In March 2010, Renault India and Nissan India opened a production facility in Chennai. Established with an i nitial investment of 45 billion (US$760 million), the plant has a combined annual capacity to produce 400,000 vehicles. Each partner is entitled to half the production capacity. Since the start of its own operation Renault has launched the following models.

How To Use Blog Comments For Content Marketing

How To Use Blog Comments For Content Marketing If youve been visiting some of the bigger blogs lately, youll notice an interesting trend: no more blog comments. Copyblogger  and  Michael Hyatt  are a couple  of the more popular bloggers who have pulled comments from their blogs. Other bloggers have entered the debate on why you should and shouldnt include comments with blog posts, or even the value of participating in blog comment sections. Weve even entered the fray, coming out with 10 reasons to have blog comments. What if we took a different look at the venerable blog comment tradition and viewed it as a form of content marketing? In some way, taking part in a blog comment section  is of similar  quality of some of the most common venues of content marketing. How To Use #Blog Comments To Become A Better Content Marketer  via @JulieNeidlinger Blog comment systems are much different than they used to be. Systems like Disqus and Livefyre act like a social network. Each user has a profile, and a record of all their comments across all the blogs theyve commented on that use these systems. Users can follow profiles, and vote on comments that they deem as valuable. Blog comments can also be fueled by social networks themselves, such as Facebook or Google+. In this way, participating in blog comments is quite similar as participating on a social network Blog Comments To Network And Connect Old school bloggers who were blogging years ago will fondly remember (and in some cases, not so fondly) the many connections they made in blog comment sections. Before there was social media, a blog comment section was the place to talk about a blog post. If you wanted to share it, you brought it back to your blog and packaged it for your readers. Now, social media has brought that to an end somewhat. For most blogs, the comment sections aren't as active, nor are they used the same way. Nevertheless, participating in a blog comment section is a way to find new bloggers to follow, and a way for them to find you. It also makes sense that you would meet and converse with people in the comments of a blog on a topic you were both interested in when otherwise, you'd not have connected. Blogs now are particularly niche-focused, making it more likely that you will meet relevant people you ought to network and connect with in the comments. You may never see them, otherwise, in social media. You might not end up in the same forum as they. But you are likely reading the same top blogs. Use #blog comments to connect with peers. Treat it like #socialmedia with unique  insights.Blog Comments For Generating Ideas A blog comment section is a fabulous place to get ideas for your next post. In fact, I've even written posts in response to discussions I've had in a blog comment section when I feel as if I need to flesh out my thoughts in greater detail. Then, once the post is finished, I go back to the discussion I was having and share the link and note that I wrote about it on my blog. As a blogger, the conversations happening in a blog comments section reveal more about what people want to read about than any daily perusal of your RSS feed reader. A feed reader tells you what other bloggers think ought to be written. A blog comment section has the questions and thoughts people are telling you they want written. When we published a post called How To Actually Plan Your Blog And Save A Ton Of Time, Ella had a great question for us. We used that inspiration from her blog comment to write a post called How To Start A Blog When You Have Absolutely No Audience to answer her question (and then we let Ella know when it launched). This is particularly the case on a popular industry blog, where people are turning to the expert for help. They will ask for clarification and help. Why not write a post and be that help? Pay attention to the words other blog commenters are using when they ask questions or comment, so that you use those same words in your own blog posts. Use #blog comments to find your best blog ideas. #bloggingBlog Comments Can Build Your Reputation There are some content marketers who don't actually  have a blog. They write on social media, such as Google+, participate in niche forums, or they focus their efforts on being a serious blog commenter. They build a reputation as an expert based on what they say in these non-blog locations. Reputation building can happen off of your blog. When people start to see your name across blocks in your industry, and see that you are leaving great comments, they remember. Your blog comments are building your reputation as someone with knowledge and expertise. People take notice. It may lead to requests for guest blog posts, an interview, or other avenues to participate in content marketing. Frankly, a knowledgeable post stands out in a blog comment section in this day and age. There is such a thing as building a bad reputation, of course.  One thing I do, when reading a cantankerous comment on a blog, is click on the commenter's name. If it is a comment system such as Disqus, I can quickly see what kind of comments they generally leave, and I assign them a reputation. Some people only leave comments to say disagreeable things. Even if they have their own blog and it is filled with great content, I'm not going to bother. The comments you are leaving are building your reputation. Make it a good one that shows you are knowledgeable and even-handed, instead of a disagreeable jerk with little to add to the conversation. Write knowledgeable and even-handed #blog comments, instead of being a disagreeable jerk.Blog Comments As Your Side Blog Depending upon how thoughtful and how much time you put in the comments section of a blog (going beyond the not-so-helpful "great post!"), you could view a blog comments section as a secondary method for blogging. We've talked about syndicating and repurposing your content on sites such as Medium.com, LinkedIn, et. al. In a sense, the blog comment section of a high-traffic blog can do some of the same. If you have written a great post that would really fit into the conversation in a comments section of a blog post, rework your blog post into a summary and share it in the comments section. This is better than simply saying "I wrote a post about this: http://blahblah.com" because people are tired of spammers leaving links without explanation in the comment section. Getting your content on Medium and LinkedIn works well because you expose it to a new audience. The same goes for a blog comment section, as long as you trim it down and provide a tidy quick-read summary. If you want to include the link at the end, you might say "I've talked about this in a bit more detail on my own blog" and use an inline link so it is visually appealing and seems less like link spam. Provide a unique perspective in #blog comments and link to a post to  flesh out the idea.Blog Comments As Your Daily Routine Most content marketers have a particular daily routine that they use to get ideas, stay active, and stay knowledgeable in their niche. These routines usually involve going through the day's RSS feeds in a reader, planning upcoming content on their editorial calendar, responding to social media, and so on. Why wouldn't you also block out time to leave one or two long comments on relevant blogs? That ought to be a part of your regular routine, too, if you are trying to build a reputation and a following. We talk a lot about long-form blog posts. Let's consider its cousin: long-form blog comment. You don't have to write a 1,000 word blog comment every day, but you can certainly leave a few paragraphs of relevant content to  meet other commenters and earn the appreciation of the blog owner where you left your comment.

What was is it Like to Participate in Civil War Essay

What was is it Like to Participate in Civil War - Essay Example What was is it Like to Participate in Civil War Slavery was not only the cause of the spark of combat, but also extended its roots into the soldier’s camps when the war began. For instance, black soldiers participated in the war at a significant threat to their lives especially from the confederate government who threatened to execute summarily or sell them to slavery. Some of the black union soldiers were captured and severely humiliated. One black soldier Aerambo Boyart in a letter to his wife reveals the harsh realities of the war as union armed forces attempted to triumph over Charleston. In the letter Boyart writes, â€Å"It is with great pleasure that I send a few lines to alert you that I am in the land of living and in the midst of death in every form and shape†. Participation in the civil required some sense of discipline, it is the universal aspect of nobility in the brigade or army to full execute the mission. Both units maintained a relatively standard discipline in obeying the orders of the camp commanders despite little different expression of opinions during the war period. For instance, when President Lincoln responded to attacks on fort Sumter and called 75000 militia volunteers. One individual Robert Lee of Virginia opposed the decision and even resigned; as a result. Another area where discipline is exhibit is on the slave’s role in the liberation. The slaves in confederacy deserted the plantations and fled to union lines. There also were few insurrections during the war as slave style began to disentangle.