...In the essay “Beyond The Wall: Essays from the Outside” by Edward Abbey, Abbey says “The domination of nature leads to the domination of human nature”. This quote can be considered in a numerous amount of ways that relate to personal philosophy, science, and many other topics. The topics being discussed in this essay are prior course, personal philosophy, and published sources in order to consider the quote at hand. Honors Biodiversity has taught that the world is being harmed to a point where humans are taking it for granted rather than treasuring it for the numerous amount of resources which it harnesses. For instance, biodiversity hotpots, which are spots on the planet where there are an extremely diverse amount of species compared to...
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...line" or "three pillars" as a method of discovery and the desire to understand sustainability in the balance between the environment, the economy and the society. To illustrate the above, true Amazon deforestation will be used to document the application of systematic thinking to sustainability challenges. This study will show us the link between...
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...Global Warming GLOBAL WARMING: AN ESSAY. E ven among my small circle of friends, there seem to be polarized beliefs about global warming, or climate change. I sampled six months of columns and editorials in the Wall Street Journal and discovered that the universal angle of the full sample was to argue about how expensive this or that action to confront climate change might be and to imply that there was nothing profound here to justify such an expense. (I randomly looked up and read about twelve such pieces.) I was looking for data, and all I could find was this kind of polemic. On the other hand, if you read EAARTH by Bill McKibben, his argument is that the case for warming is closed, the planet has already dangerously warmed up, and the challenges now are all about how we are going to adjust to living in the new environment. Wow, is that a spread or not? Along the way, I have sampled other sources as far stretched as Wikipedia, Michael Crichton’s book, State of Fear, a recent cover story in the Economist on deforestation, googled dissenting views on global warming and processed through the many discussions I have had with people. I am in search for the common thread of sense that runs through this dialogue. Along the way, one is always trying to decipher among (1) who has facts, (2) who thinks they are conveying truth, and (3) who is interpreting their belief system as fact. Am I now the one who will call my opinion fact? I hope not. There is one saving grace to all of...
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...Grace Giardina Mr. Mark Carson HIST 2055 11 Feb 2015 Changes in the Land Essay In William Cronon’s book Changes in the Land: Indians, Colonists, and the Ecology of New England, he discuses the ecological history of New England from the late sixteenth century to the early nineteenth century. He demonstrates how the New Englanders changed the land by illustrating the process of the change in the landscape and the environment. In the Preface Cronon states, “My thesis is simple: the shift from Indian to European dominance in New England entailed important changes—well known to historians—in the ways these people organized their lives, but it also involved fundamental reorganizations—less well-known to historians—in the region's plant and animal communities" (Cronon xv). Throughout the book he expands on his thesis and describes the rapid transformation of New England land, their culture, and economically. In the beginning of the book, Cronon describes the changes that occurred in New England between 1600 and 1800. He starts the chapter off by discussing Henry David Thoreau’s book, Walden. Throughout that book, Thoreau states that people have the biggest effect on nature, and that everyone should care for it. On page 4 Cronon states, “a changed landscape meant a loss of wildness and virility that was ultimately spiritual in its import, a sign of declension in both nature and humanity”. The changes in the nature and wilderness that Cronon mentions are much more than just...
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...John Finken February 29, 2012 Informative Essay – Draft 1 Humans Contribution to Climate Change Over the past 50 years scientific research has shown the ways in which human activity has caused or contributed to climate change. Research all over the world points to the ways humans have caused climate change: the emission of excessive greenhouse gases, primarily carbon dioxide from human industrial, residential and transportation sources into the earth’s atmosphere, exploding population causing a greater need for ever scarcer resources, and finally producing deforestation, pollution and a catastrophic loss of biodiversity of plants and animals. “We are dumping so much carbon dioxide into the Earth’s environment that we have literally changed the relationship between the Earth and the Sun.” (Gore, p.10) Scientific studies measuring the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere have been taken on a daily basis beginning in 1958 over the island of Hawaii. After a relatively short amount of time the scientists could see that the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere was going up at an alarming rate. The pattern has shown that the levels of CO2 have been steadily rising year after year for 50 years. “The pre-industrial concentration of CO2 was 280 parts per million. In 2005, that level, measured high above Mauna Loa, was 381 parts per million.” (Gore, p.37) The level of CO2 is higher than it has ever been in 650,000 years. Scientists have proven that the increased level...
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...expenditure or output. While increasing economic growth has several advantages to the nation and inhabitants of the nation, it has its fair share of disadvantages. Conversely, economics is a social science that studies the production, distribution and consumption of goods and services. The focus of this essay is on the pros, as well as the cons of economic growth. Pros of Economic Growth There are numerous benefits of economic growth. Firstly, economic growth results in improved public services. A growing economy provides its government with more tax revenue, which, in turn, is used for the provision of welfare services. Economic growth is seen in terms of flourishing businesses and individuals, which provides channels for taxation. The revenue accrued from tax is used by the governments to provide social services, such as health and education. For instance, countries that have high levels of economic growth, such as the United States, offer social services like health and food stamps. Secondly, economic growth results in the investment in green technologies. Amidst concerns about global warming and climate change due to development-related growth, countries are beginning to embrace green technologies that are less harmful to the environment. Countries with higher economic growth can afford to invest in these technologies, which conserves the environment. As such, people in these countries have a healthier environment and cleaner air....
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...Janet Leung Professor Robert Ward ENGL0110 October 12thth, 2013 The Depiction of Nature and Its Relation to Spirituality This essay will examine Hopkins’s depiction of nature in “The Windhover: To Christ Our Lord”. We know that he decided to become a Victorian Jesuit Priest midway through his life and that this had a huge influence on the themes of his poems. This was a huge change in his life that he decided to burn all his previous works. Through the earlier years of his life, and even a little bit into his early priesthood, Hopkins still seemed a little uncertain about the spiritual and religious aspect of his life. As Christopher Clausen once said, “Appearances to the contrary, however, nature even at its most hostile mirrors the divine purpose of salvation.” (181) Hopkins’ theme may switch around poem to poem with different themes to express different messages. But I will indicate how Hopkins uses nature to convey his message about his thoughts on religion. Between the 18th and 19th century, the Industrial Revolution was going on at the time and was Hopkins’ main inspiration for this poem. The Industrial Revolution consisted of an over use of factories and machines which led to mass production, which then led to air pollution, deforestation, and the loss of natural resources. This grew concern to Hopkins as the natural order of life had been disturbed by these man made factors. Because nature was being negatively impacted, Hopkins thought this was in parallel to citizen’s...
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...Portal Entry Essay: The Adirondacks The history of the Adirondack Park in Upstate New York is a prime example of people taking responsibility for their actions. Companies exploited the forest for many years. The state recognized the importance of the Adirondacks, thus establishing a strict forest protection Act. Now the Adirondacks are being affected by climate change. I live in Upstate New York on the northern border of the Adirondack Park. The Adirondacks have always been part of my life, from my childhood summers canoe camping on the lakes, to hiking and skiing in the Adirondack Mountains. I wanted my portals to revolve around something I had a personal connection to. I chose my three entries mainly based on my previous knowledge. I knew the Adirondacks had been clear-cut long ago and that resulted in a protection act to preserve the area. I had considered looking at when the Park officially became a state park. I also...
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...a steep increase in resource depletion and environmental degradation. These trends have fueled the debate on the link between population and environment that began 150 years earlier, when Malthus voiced his concern about the ability of the earth and its finite resources to feed an exponentially growing population. The purpose of this study is to review the literature on population and environment and to identify the main strands of thought and the assumptions that lie behind them. The author begins with a review of the historical perspective. He then reviews and assesses the evidence on the relationship between population and environment, focusing on selected natural and environmental resources: land use, water use, local pollution, deforestation and climate change. The author also reviews selected recent macro and micro perspectives. The new macro perspective introduces the environment-income relationship and examines the role of population growth and density in mediating this relationship. The new micro perspective introduces the close relationship between poverty and environmental degradation, also examining the roles of gender in decision-making and the role of children as economic assets in fertility decisions. Finally, the author carries out a comparative assessment of the approaches and methods employed in the literature to explain the wide variation in findings and predictions. This literature review...
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...a steep increase in resource depletion and environmental degradation. These trends have fueled the debate on the link between population and environment that began 150 years earlier, when Malthus voiced his concern about the ability of the earth and its finite resources to feed an exponentially growing population. The purpose of this study is to review the literature on population and environment and to identify the main strands of thought and the assumptions that lie behind them. The author begins with a review of the historical perspective. He then reviews and assesses the evidence on the relationship between population and environment, focusing on selected natural and environmental resources: land use, water use, local pollution, deforestation and climate change. The author also reviews selected recent macro and micro perspectives. The new macro perspective introduces the environment-income relationship and examines the role of population growth and density in mediating this relationship. The new micro perspective introduces the close relationship between poverty and environmental degradation, also examining the roles of gender in decision-making and the role of children as economic assets in fertility decisions. Finally, the author carries out a comparative assessment of the approaches and methods employed in the literature to explain the wide variation in findings and predictions. This literature review demonstrates...
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...Global Warming Outline I. Introduction II. Background on Global Warming A. Temperature 1. Intergovernmental Panel Climate Change B. Contributing factors 1. Green house gases -Environmental Protection Agency 2. Particulates 3. Human activity C. Effects 1. Natural Environment 2. Ecosystems 3. Social/Human systems III. Opposing Viewpoints A. Natural factors 1. Climate change 2. Deforestation 3. Natural Disasters B. Impacts 1. Human activity 2. Beneficial effect C. Media IV. Conclusion V. References Global Warming Global Warming is a universal concern that has gained worldwide attention. As members of Congress, we have heard and learned new and different facts about the process of Earth. Some causes and effects of global warming are easy to understand, with substantial evidence, yet there are still unanswered questions and reasoning as to why global warming is occurring. This essay is to outline the background of global warming and to display opposing viewpoints. Since there is not enough evidential research to connect global warming with natural factors, human activity, and its impacts, we might take advantage of its beneficial gain to our environment, economic, and social system. The facts and fictions of global warming will convince members of Congress that there are opposing viewpoints to global warming and its effects. According to the Intergovernmental Panel Climate Change, global warming is the increase of Earth’s average temperature. “The Intergovernmental...
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...Climate change has damage the planet beyond repair. Melissa Giannotti (1100 words) ‘Unless we announce a disasters, no one will listen’ (J.Houghton, 1994). The continuous struggle to halt climate change and save the world is perhaps the biggest challenge the humanity has ever faced. The world-threatening rise in temperatures, the extinction of species and the flooding of oceans, is coming under challenge as never before. The world has known about global warming since the late 1970s, but since that time a little has been done to halt it. This essay sets out to examine why is too late to find a solution to save the planet. The first thing to get straight is to define the meaning of climate change. Climate change involves any changes in weather patterns, such as colder, wetter, cloudier, and windier condition. According to McGuire (2008,a), over the 4.6 billion year history of our planet, the climate has constantly changed in response to several factors. Until now, many have argued that since the industrialization has started, more greenhouses have been added to the atmosphere, causing the warming Earth’s climate. In fact, research conducted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC, 2013) states that the warming of the climate system is certain. Each of the last three decades has been successively warmer than any previous decade since the 1850. For instance, the evidence demonstrate a clear increase in warming of 0.85 [0.65 to1.06]°C over the period 1880 to 2012...
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...Meat Consumption and Vegetarian People should eat less meat or become vegetarian? Steven Zhou Royal Roads University Marianne Kettlewell November 26, 2015 Meat Consumption and Vegetarian People should eat less meat or become vegetarian? Throughout human history, it is clear that carnivores have dominated food culture since Primitive Society. Meat has been maintaining the development in human beings for thousands of years. Unexpectedly, as time has gone by, the meat industry has caused major environmental and health problems. For instance, livestock is now responsible for 51% of the world's total greenhouse gas emissions, which negatively affects the environment. Eating lots of meats could also adversely affect health, leading to many illnesses like Hypertension and Hyperlipidemia. Therefore, some people think we should eat less meat or become vegetarian. Despite these strong arguments, personally, I do not agree with this opinion, for reasons outlined below. From a perspective of health, a vegan diet is harmful to the nutritional balance, for instance, vegetarians are short of protein and calcium. Meat, such as beef, has abundant protein, six ounces of lean, chuck beef, braised contains 49.2 grams of protein, 505 calories and 32.59 grams of fat (Dr. Decuypere's Nutrient Charts). What is protein? Protein is a nutrient that the body needs to grow and maintain itself. Next to water, protein is the most plentiful substance in our bodies. In other words, protein plays...
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...Assignment 1.2 Arthur T. Plyler Jr. Dr. Black, Ph.D. Contemporary U.S. History August 10, 2014 Abstract In the short span of 55 years between 1865 and 1920 the Industrial Revolution brought vast expansion of big business and a change to the American people. Lad by Henry Ford’s assembly line industrial powers such as Carnegie, Huntington, and Rockefeller emerged and built their empires. Birthed from these industrial empires we witnessed the growth of legislation and laws that where susceptible to manipulation by the development of corrupt politics. With the surge in technology, growth of super powers, environmental issues, government legislation, or corrupt business practices or corrupt government the industrial revolution exploded in a time where change was needed to draw the American eye away from the deadly Civil War, which so many where still attached to, and focus on the theoretical idea “a better way of life”. The Industrial Revolution was sold to the American people with the false since that if you work hard you will acquire wealth. This lie to the populace was met with a flood of American and immigrant workers that swarmed to the workforce for low wages and unhealthy work environments. Imbedding this idea into the American workforce the Industrial Revolution spawned business power houses like Carnegie, Huntington, Ford, and Rockefeller. The Industrial Revolution also bestowed on us the corrupt business and political practices that shaped the laws and regulations...
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...spiritual, or societal standpoints. Poverty is a global issue that has been tormenting the human world ever since its beginning. According to the Oxford dictionary, poverty is "the state of lacking sufficient money to live at a standard considered comfortable or normal in a society." (Poverty, n. pag) Poverty is the insufficiency of money and resources to meet the basic needs of life. It is also the deprivation of participation in economic, social and political decision-making that affects one's life. Unfortunately, it is the state of majority of the countries. The rich get richer, while the poor get poorer, the gap between them increases over time. The issue of poverty is not justifiable in both societal and individual level. Therefore, preventing poverty is one of the goals of the international organizations like United Nations and the World Bank. Ever since the time of Jesus Christ, in accordance with what the Catechism of the Catholic Church and Church's Social Teaching preach, the issue of global poverty is unjustified, and therefore, is preventable by the efforts of the human world. The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines poverty as not only the lack of material, but also cultural and religious aspects as well. Poverty is the human misery caused by material deprivation, unjust oppression, physical and psychological illness. However, in this essay, the main concern argued is the deprivation of material, resources and services. The Catechism looks at poverty from...
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