The environment and its problems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The environment and its problems - Essay Example All the natural elements that surround us are very well linked one to another, making sure to establish an ecological balance between organisms. Ecosystems are the nature’s proof that we are present on earth with a predetermined biological purpose. Photosynthesis is the mechanism that enables plants to produce enough energy to live and to start the natural food chain, which supports numerous species in the food chain. Human beings are the ones who have a developed sense of knowledge and understanding. As such, they are the ones who control the balance of the food chain. For instance, human beings can make sure that their activities do not disrupt the balance within the ecosystem. On the contrary, we are too busy mining and pricing the crude barrels with a resultant loss of human life and use of guns in the Middle East. In addition, natural tropical rainforests such as the Amazon are continuously being chopped down in a bid to satisfy our ever rising demand for wood. Moreover, the Great Barrier Reef, located in Australia, received on 2010 the longest known grounding scar on it as a result of an oil spill. With regards to these damaging human activities, climate change is inevitable. What natural wonders are the future generations going to be allowed to appreciate? How better is this new world that we are creating where they ought to grow old? Just a taste of this makes us think a little bit about our natural environment and how to preserve it. Global warming evidence has brought together countries around the world, in a desperate effort to try and help in reducing the carbon dioxide and othe2r greenhouse gasses emission from the man-made activities. One of the ways that people and organizations around the world are reducing these emissions is through recycling campaigns. In addition, people are also promoting a healthier lifestyle (one thing that I totally approve) and as a result avoiding processed food while promoting

The Lord of the Flies Novel Essay Example for Free

The Lord of the Flies Novel Essay The Lord of the flies is one of the greatest pieces of literature of the last century. After reading the novel, the reader is left with a multitude of sensations that amount to a feeling of awe at the masterpiece they haven just read. This novel works so well because is a multi-layered book that works remarkably well on each echelon of meaning. The novel succeeds as an amazing adventure of a group of schoolboys stranded on an island, having to fight to survive an escaping from a terrible Beast. It is difficult to read a page of the novel without wondering what tragic events will unfold next. Golding does not relent in the constant flashes of action and description even at the calm beginning of the novel, when the reader studies the book with a feeling of interest and intrigue as they wonder how the boys will respond to their own island. On another level, Golding brilliantly depicts the boys swift decline into savagery. Golding seems to make astounding observations on what makes humans different human and provides profound description on the way a civilized human becomes a mere savage. Golding seems to suggest that Human characteristics come from the influence of society and civilization and when removed from society, refined humans transcend into barbarians. Civilization is a main theme in the novel. Golding also uses symbolism and metaphors to make statements on the potential and the success of different factors of society. Golding chooses an island as the setting for an island because he wishes to create a microcosm of the world. The novel also relies on the boys being left to their own devices, without the intervention of adults. Golding chooses a group of children rather than adults because children represent innocence and they are also unchanged by society much like humankind was when it first started life on earth. Different types of society are represented on the island. There are two boys fighting for power on the island Ralph and Jack. They represent democracy and totalitarian dictatorship respectively. Ralph aims to lead the island fairly- through voting. He is elected by a vote just like a democratic election. Where as jack rebels against the others, disobeying Ralphs authority and starting his own tribe. Ralph makes rules but doesnt physically enforce them- he wants people to do what he likes but he really bases his rules on the wants and needs of others. Jack on the other hand, makes his tribe do exactly what he wants. He is a complete despot. Ultimately, neither tribe succeeds on the island. The message that Golding seems to be given to the reader is that no society can succeed on earth- democracy is no form of government because it is based almost entirely the wants of the people and the country, therefore is actually being run by the people and not the government. Totalitarianism and fascism are an effective form of government as the country is being run entirely by those in power but ultimately the people will rebel, as they are not getting what they want. This is another profound and intelligent opinion that makes the Lord of the Flies such an excellent novel. The Novel seems to be essentially a book about power and the struggle between Ralph and jack but also the struggle between good and evil. Golding implies that all people have good and evil within them. The boys start off as innocent, good people. From an early point in the novel, the boys fear a Beast. There is actually no physical Beast but as the messianic figure- Simon says, Maybe its only us. In the novel Simon is entirely correct. The boys simply fear the evil that they capable of throughout the beginning of the novel the boys seem to want to hide from, or fight the beast showing that are against evil. Later in the novel, Jack attempts to appease The Beast proving that he has become evil. The subject of religion permeates the whole of the novel. The theme of good vs. evil in the novel ties in with the religious theme. Simon seems to be a messianic, Christ-like figure. Several biblical moments appear to have been recreated within the novel. The island itself represents the Garden of Eden. The beast on the island represents evil but also the Devil. Jacks tribe reverts to a form of devil worship towards the end of the novel. Simon is the one who mainly confronts the beast; Simons meeting with the beast represents Jesus temptation by the devil, in the bible. This is such an excellent novel because it integrates a collection of complicated but comprehendible themes. Certain metaphors and symbols appear after reading the novel for a second time. It is an exciting and mentally engaging novel on many levels.

A Nation of Murderers or a Nation of Freedom: Abortion in 2003 Essay

A Nation of Murderers or a Nation of Freedom: Abortion in 2003 On January 22, 1973, in addition to disease, murders, and other tragedies, the probability of every person’s existence in America became even more jeopardized. That winter day was the date that abortion became legal by the Supreme Court in the case â€Å"Roe vs. Wade.† Since then, a decision had to be made during each pregnancy whether or not to terminate the growing fetus, resulting in the possibility of someone’s life never existing. One of the main problems today is determining at what point during the pregnancy constitutes a living being and not just a fetus inside the womb. During the first trimester there are too many aspects interpreted as religious, political, and medical opinions rather than scientific facts to determine whether or not the fetus is a living being. Consequently, the argument with the most substance is whether or not a woman should have the right to choose a termination of pregnancy during the second and third trimester and should it be legal. One of the standpoints of defense for abortion is that if medical abortions were outlawed, women would seek illegal, more dangerous methods of terminating a pregnancy. As a website on Planned Parenthood describes, â€Å"In the two decades before abortion was legal in the U.S., it's been estimated that nearly a million women per year sought illegal abortions. Thousands died. Tens of thousands were mutilated† (Abortion 2). The demand for abortions even under these extreme circumstances is because of the threat of injury to the woman if the baby is born, as well as inability to provide the baby a healthy and financially stable childhood. For tens of thousands of women with heart disease, kidney disea... ...over the exact point during the pregnancy a fetus is alive and laws can be made accordingly. Until then we remain a society of diverse opinions. Works Cited - â€Å"Abortion.† Planned Parenthood Organization. 26 October 2003. - Hymowitz, Kay S. â€Å"Who Decides?† Commentary October 2003: p82-86. - â€Å"NARAL.† National Abortion and Reproduction Rights Action League. 26 October 2003. - Nash, Madeline. â€Å"Inside the Womb.† Time 11 November 2002: p34-36. - Ranalli, Paul. â€Å"Knowledge of Fetal Development and Fetal Pain Grows Over Last 10 Years†. Helping to Change the Climate of Opinion. 26 October 2003. . - Taillion, Marcel. â€Å"Abortion.† 26 October 2003 .

Call of Duty

Call of Duty is an extremely successful video game franchise created by Activision consisting of seven different games to date. In the fall of 2009 Call of Duty – Modern Warfare 2, the prequel to this year’s Black Ops, set the record for five day video game sales with 550 million in revenue. The Call of Duty franchise has a very strong and loyal following but Activision decided to advertise heavily for their newest installment regardless. A billboard in Times Square was only the first step in this advertising thunderstorm. Though the numbers are up for debate, Activision CEO Bobby Kotick called this campaign â€Å"The biggest investment ever made in the launch of a game title†. The commercial being critiqued received the most attention of all the Black Ops advertisements. The commercial was developed by the Advertising Agency TBWA, and was directed by up and coming director Rupert Sanders. The target audience for this advertisement is most likely males 12-34 years old, which is consistent with the largest sector of the video game market. The ad ran heavily during National Football league games in order to target this demographic. The NFL dominates this demographic in terms of viewership. The ad aired during day games as well as night games. The commercial appealed to hardcore gamers as well as novices and was designed to excite the loyal followers of the franchise as well as stimulate the interests of new players. The commercial shows people from all ages and occupations, including a business woman, a young girl, a nurse, a chef, and even celebrities Kobe Bryant and Jimmy Kimmel, engaging in realistic war battles set to The Rolling Stones â€Å"Gimme Shelter†. The central message of the commercial is that anyone can experience the rush of being a hero from the safety of their video game consoles, as driven home by the tagline â€Å"There is a soldier in all of us† that ends the commercial. The commercial also excites the viewer due to its realism and action while portraying a dramatized version of the gameplay. The presence of Kobe Bryant and Jimmy Kimmel, who are both real life fans of the game, conveys a message that you can buy this game and even compete against celebrities in multi player modes. There is a message that in the Black Ops world, we are all soldiers hidden in a cloud of anonymity and are ranked simply by ability to play the game. This commercial was controversial but extremely effective. Call of Duty – Black Ops generated 360 million in revenue in the first day of release and 650 million over the first 5 days, making it the most successful video game launch ever. Even The Rolling Stones felt the power of the Call of Duty franchise when according to Billboard. om, sales of The Rolling Stones â€Å"Let It Bleed† album (featuring â€Å"Gimme Shelter†) rose from approximately 2,000 copies sold per week prior to the commercial airing, to 11,000 copies after. In terms of recommendations, numerous people argued that the advertisement was in bad taste for making light of real wartime scenarios and also promoting violence. The experience of the commercial is of course subjective. In this case, controversy seemed to only increase awareness and ad sales. The rush created by this commercial created a positive association with the game and led potential customers to feel that they can have a thrilling experience for sixty dollars in the form of a game with no actual consequences. My personal recommendation would be for Activision to be aware of audience sensitivities in order find balance between increasing awareness and not offending fans, or potential fans, of the game. Possibly issuing a warning at the end of the commercial that the action is dramatized could help slow criticism as well.

Two Ways

Self-transformation means self-assuming to be an American citizen, or more spiritually, an American. An immigrant who makes such assumptions expects governmental protect and embrace. The trauma of transformation is the price they are willing to pay as exchange for these benefits, while exile confronts exactly immigrants† feeling of belonging. The trauma of self-transformation is therefore a dynamic against exile. In Bharati Mukherjee's â€Å"Two Wap to Belong in America,† she outlines how both her sister and she came to the United States from India with the opes of having a more privileged life.However, she spends the most of her piece describing the various complications that have ascended, between both herself and her sister, Mira, and how these costs have affected their opinions of the American dream. Bharati, in particular, sacrifices a great deal in order to move, settle, and prosper in the United States. From her piece, I acknowledged three costs that Bharati had t o pay in order to continue to chase her dream. Bharati's first cost is her Indian citizenship.While she has no problems with giving up her Indian citizenship, others are not so quick to abandon the legacy their ancestors have established. I think it's noticeable why this is a more important cost to some immigrants. This brings me to Bharati's second cost which is the disappearance of her ancestral legacy. Bharati, along with every immigrant who elected to acquire American citizenship, fails to obey her familys established legacy as a result of receiving this citizenship. Again, she seems more than willing to deter from the path her family would like her to stay on.In other words, she has no problems â€Å"renouncing 3,000 years (at least) of caste- observant, â€Å"pure culture† marriage in the Mukherjee family'. Bharati's third cost is her innocence. When Bharati talks about living with her husband in Canada and is suddenly discriminated and encouraged to relocate because o f â€Å"a Green Paper that invited a national referendum on the unwanted side effects of â€Å"nontraditional† immigration†. She left Canada because of her being discriminated. She lost her sense of pride when that happens to her.Bharati recognizes that there is a price for those ho choose not to immigrate, but she neglects to acknowledge the dues that she has paid as a result of relocating. This statement confirms that she does not recognize the â€Å"self-transformation† that she underwent in her pursuit of the American dream. I agree that ‘The price that the immigrant willingly pays, and that the exile avoids, is the trauma of self-transformation. † I also feel that complications that surface during one's pursuit of the American dream are also the costs associated with achieving their vision Two Ways By airforce90