...Név: PÉTER MAGYAR Neptun: WJLTKU Szak: BGF KKK Nemzetközi Tanulmányok (MsC, angol) Munkarend: Levelező Oktató: Hidasi Judit Tárgy: Távol-Kelet tanulmányok PIERRE BOULLE: THE BRIDGE OVER THE RIVER KWAI The bridge over the river Kwai is a book by French author Pierre Boulle. The novel is a fictional story about British prisoners of a war camp during the second world war in Burma under Japenese reign. The book tells the story of British prisoners of a war camp forced to build a bridge that would connect Bangkok and Rangoon named the „death railway” over the river Kwai. Meanwhile the Allies’ goal is to prevent the completion of the works. As the book has reached the heights of being considered a „classic” it is really hard to comment on it. Perre Boulle who witnessed the disasters of the second World War in the Far East used his own experiences to write this masterpiece of literature. The book portrays well the characters of the British Lieutenant Colonel Nicholson and Japanese Colonel Saito. In the meantime the novel has received huge criticism because of the behaviour of Nicholson. Survivals of such war camps state that such rebellious attitude (that of Nicholson) would have led to his elimination at an early stage in real life. Apart from that the book is an exciting twisted story. Nicholson who demands proper treat for his fellow soldiers agrees to build the bridge for the Japanese. But fugitive British soldier Shears, reaches the Allies, leads them to site...
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...period of time whether it is several years or a season relative to the arithmetic mean for that region (Bond, Lake & Arthington 2008). As a drought is able to have a substantial impact on the natural marine ecosystems, the outcomes that come with it are aggravated both by indirect and direct anthropogenic adjustments to hydro areas such as rivers and the catchments (Bond, Lake & Arthington 2008). Major impacts in rivers are generally the decline of the amount of water and habitation accessibility for the surrounding animals (Bond, Lake & Arthington 2008). Droughts are a frequently occurring matter in Australia with it being a regular element on the climate with most said to have had an affect by the El Nino phase (Bond, Lake & Arthington 2008). As a drought is classified as a natural hazard it’s able to cause a great amount of destruction socially and economically (Bond, Lake & Arthington 2008). The millennium drought is sought to be one of the biggest to leave an impact on the environment (Bond, Lake & Arthington 2008). The millennium drought has had a severe impact on most of the South-Eastern Australia region with most of the rivers undergoing a record low water capacity during this period and in some instances 40% lower than earlier records (Bond, Lake & Arthington 2008). The Southern Murray- Darling Basin is spread around most states of Queensland, New South Wales, ACT and Victoria (Whitworth, Baldwin & Kerr 2012). It lies in a Mediterranean climate zone with a yearly...
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...The Ganges River State of Decay The Ganges River is one of India’s most famous rivers. It has been used for domestic, commercial, and industrial purposes. The river, for a long time, was unpolluted and full of aquatic life. Now, however, the river is in a state of decay and degradation resulting from man-made hazards. Pollution has done a lot of damage to the The Ganges River and its inhabitants. The River is home to over 140 fish species, 90 amphibian species, and five habitats that support birds found nowhere else in the world. A variety of fish which helped keep the river clean are now near extinction. Dolphins once found in the Ganges River are near extinction as well. Studies (1) show that tumors exist in zoo plankton which is eaten by the dominant fish and now the food chain has been contaminated. The sources of pollution are many and varied. The Ganges River is now polluted by chemical waste oxygen depleted freshwater, carcasses, trash, bacteria, and all of these add up to a colossal amount of waste. The river is said to now contain over 200 times more fecal bacteria than sustainable levels (2). The river flows through 29 cities with population of over 100,000 each who depend on the river for recreation and livelihood. Cultural and traditional rituals have also aided in the pollution of the river. Every year on the first day of The Kumbh Festival, five million people are said to bathe in the river, and as the festival continues, the amount of bathers dramatically...
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...California should spend money for the San Joaquin River recuperation project because without it, it would cause a lack of water and resources which could lead to death and cause destruction to the human race. Daniel Weintraub in the article River Restoration project offers a Sprinkling of Hope that was published on April 26, 2009 in Sacramento, California by the Sacramento Bee states that the project should continue because restoring the river and bringing back the salmon populations is important for the environment. The Sacramento Bee published this article showing its support and how they found the article as valid. The River Proposal offers results ethically such as the instauration of dihydrogen monoxide (ethos), logistically like the incrementation of salmon inhabitants (logos), and emotionally, for instance, self-consciously (pathos) when under consequential circumstances and fortified financially. This politically delectating arrangement would result in native fish rehabilitation, dihydrogen monoxide...
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...group of around 100 men brought quite a few ships from overseas and first arrived in Florida, on a search for gold. Hernando De Soto and his men discovered the Mississippi river on May 8th 1541. During the voyage along the Mississippi River, De Soto and his men came across a population not quite know yet, Indians. The Indians were kidnaped from their regulation and attacked by the assembly. The Indians also attacked back and hindered the voyage travel. De Soto and his men were unable to complete their journey due to the Indian attacks. After De Soto failed to make it down the Mississippi, a few other good men played their hand to become the first to complete the voyage down the Mississippi River. The first man to complete the 2-month voyage was Rene-Robert Cavelier sleur de LaSalle, and was a European. After becoming the first to complete the Mississippi River, Rene-Robert traveled back to France to meet with the king and request resources to take over the Mississippi river. These resources included ammunition, soldiers, and funds. LaSalle was granted resources from the king and became the leader over the Mississippi River area, but the men prescribed by the king eventually killed LaSalle. The Mississippi River has long been known as a working river and, “It’s reported that steamboats were working the river as early as 1823.”(Moore, 2001). As of today an average of 175 tons are shipped...
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...Watersheds, Watersheds, Watersheds Water is essential to have for any living thing, any given day. Most humans use, consume, or waste the most amount of water. Humans have the mindset that water will never run out, when in fact that is just the case. Our water is slowly vanishing, being contaminated, or wasted. There are key factors to take into consideration when determining how our water is doing not only internationally, but globally. When it comes to water, the World Health Organization (WHO) is one of the main corporations responsible for passing along the information on how the water security is doing. There are more ways to infect water than to help it. The WHO clearly states on the front page of the water section of their website, “The amount of fresh water on earth is limited, and its quality is under constant pressure. Preserving the quality of fresh water is important for the drinking-water supply, food production, and recreational water use. Water quality can be compromised by the presence of infectious agents, toxic chemicals, and radiological hazards” (WHO). This is just an emphasis on the importance of being aware of the preservation of water and how it easily it can affect anything when infected. The WHO does everything in order to ensure the safety of the water and creates opportunities to become informed about the water one drinks. Water has a huge affect on anything living. Water has the same impact on the United States as it does globally. If water...
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...air pollution; this is mainly due to the Savannah River Site. The Savannah River Site is a nuclear reservation, in the United States, which is located in the state of South Carolina. In addition, this nuclear reservation is located on land in Aiken, Allendale and Barnwell Counties adjacent to the Savannah River, as well as 25 miles southeast of Augusta, Georgia. According to "Savannah River Site; Most Severely Radiation Polluted Place On Earth," (2012), "the Savannah River Site is one of the two most polluted places on earth.” The site is a 498 square mile complex, which has been severely polluted by 50 years of Nuclear Weapons production. In addition, it has been rated one of ten most polluted and toxic locations on this planet. The Savannah River Site is known as over 490 square miles of radioactive death. The site has released over 100 million curies radiation, and 490 million curies of radiation continues to be stored on site. ("Savannah River Site; Most Severely Radiation Polluted Place On Earth,", 2012) A curie is known as a unit of activity of radioactive substances equivalent to 3.70 × 10 disintegrations per second: it is approximately the amount of activity produced by 1 gram of radium-226. ("Curie", 2015) Over the last 50 years, almost 100 million curies of tritium was released, contaminating the drinking water for this region. High level radioactive liquid curies are stored in underground tanks, near the Savannah River Site. Surrounding locations near the site have...
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...Conflict in the Ohio River Valley During the 1750’s and beyond, the Ohio River Valley was an area of interest for both the French and British, “ … the Ohio River Valley served as one the great conduits of human civilization in North America” (Hinderaker p 3). Both the French and British wanted to claim this region as their own; as a result the Ohio River Valley became an arena of conflict. The two societies had many battles over this valley and the French and Indian War was the result of the conflicts that resulted; this war was a power struggle between France and England for control of the Ohio River Valley. The control of the Ohio River Valley would encompass the power over the fur trade, the fertile land for farming and expansion...
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...The River as Bridge Rivers have potential resource use and can be used to develop land. The increasing expression of human activity and climate variability on humid, terrestrial hydrologic systems has made the integrated nature of large river basins more apparent. This increased expression results in river bridging. Rivers bridge water and land together, such as oceans and mountains. They mediate between aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems which provide a natural habitat for both land and water species. Rivers do this by shaping the lay of the land through erosion, flooding, and meandering. Complex landscapes with fertile floodplains are formed because rivers carry and deposit sediments. Rivers also bridge the environment and culture. Human culture has become one of the determining factors that account for the high variability of the quality and quantity of water at any specific time and place. Humans have shaped rivers for irrigation, navigation, and flood protection. Ancient cultures and societies used river systems to construct elaborate irrigation and flood-control projects that enabled the emergence of cities and civilizations. Rivers travel long distances which help them connect a wide diversity of people and places. This makes them environmentally and culturally rich. Rivers represent the capacity for transformation in many cultures. Rivers and floodplains provide a wide range of ecosystem services. The importance of rivers and streams for freshwater, food, and recreation...
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...The land of Louisiana has been created over thousands of years. Through the Mississippi River, sediment has made its way down to the gulf to build up and create the land we stand upon today. However, when more people settled, they had to find a way to stop the spring floods of the river. For over 280 years, the New Orleanians struggled with this issue. When the river was swollen, the fear of the town being submerged was ubiquitous. The Mississippi river changes course because of a distributary that has a shorter route to the gulf. Sometimes, the meanders in the river become very looped turns due to the land getting eroded between the turn. Soon enough, the turn is cut off and becomes what is called an oxbow lake. In 10,000 years, the Mississippi...
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...cultures and societies around us. We know that early societies have adapted their ways of life for survival. The success or failure of the society can lead to expansion or downfall of a civilization. Environmental and geographic factors are known to contribute in the development of early civilizations such as Mesopotamia as well as the development of the United States through the process of diffusion from people and ideas over time. In the early civilizations, the presence of water symbolized life. Mesopotamia was the birth of early civilization due to its significant geographical characteristics, the rivers. The accessibility to water source from the Euphrates and Tigris rivers provided the early civilization with the knowledge to bring forth dependable food source. Mesopotamia was located in between two rivers (Soomo, 2013a). The Tigris River, which is shorter compared to the Euphrates River, has deeper channels, which can accommodate more water. The Euphrates River begins in the mountain of the Eastern Turkey. It is longer compare to Tigris River; however, water loss occurs through evaporation due to its hot & dry climate. "The Tigris runs almost parallel with the Euphrates and together...
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...He left them together all night without supplying River with anyone to drink, to allow a little bit of hunger to cloud River’s judgement; he must fully test his theory if he was to trust that River would not kill Shadow. The following day; to Valentine’s surprise Shadow was still alive, not only was he alive, he was standing over River’s sleeping body guarding it. Valentine walked closer and heard Shadow growl at him in warning to stay back. Valentine decided this new creation should serve his greatest creation, --- therefore christened them the Vampire’s Servant. The following night Valentine went back to the same village where he had kidnapped Shadow and abducted another young man to experiment with. After several futile attempts, Valentine...
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...Water District v. Herrmann, a case that has overwhelming effects for Oklahoma’s water resources and has the potential to influence interstate water compacts throughout the country. On June 13, 2013 the court sided with Oklahoma in a unanimous decision not to cede sovereign powers. This examination is centered on the Red River Compact, which is an agreement between Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas and Louisiana that divides water rights from the Red River and its tributaries. Texas believes that Oklahoma has denied them rightful access to water under the compact. Interpreting the compact differently, Oklahoma says they have a concern to safeguard their water supply for future generations. The argument between these four states on how to manage the water has been going on for nearly 60 years. Congress authorized Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas and Louisiana to draft a compact to ensure fair access to water in the Red River Basin in 1955. After being signed by the states in 1978, the compact was ratified by Congress in 1980. The Red River Compact declares that each of the four states gets an “equitable apportionment of water” from the Red River and its tributaries (Red River Compact, 1980)....
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...What problems are there with the Yellow River? The Yellow River is extremely polluted and poisoned because of the phalanx which comes from chemical and pharmaceutical factories above Sheen’s fields(one of the most polluted area in China) The water now is very toxic because of pollution, hydropower, and intensive water extraction for people consumption, it becomes red and purple and can’t be use even for irrigation. Also this river affects other smaller rivers because it has a lot of them. More than 4 billion tons of wastewater are dumped into the Yellow River every year. Due to this fact about a third of the river's native fish species are in the extinction. The Yellow River has been drained dry in the main course of its lower reaches and the groundwater table has rapidly declined in the floodplains. What impacts do these problems have on people? First of all, the Yellow River was a mother river in China, it was famous in Chinese history and important for Chinese population because they started their live near this river many years ago. Now they have a shortage of water because of the factories, which consumed too much for producing but no water is available because such a big and important river is polluted and poisoned. As a part of fish is now poisoned and dying this means that they will may have problems in future with alimentation because they will not have enough of fish to eat. Their population is really huge and it will be difficult to have fish...
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...is conflict over the allocation of this necessary resource. People need an adequate supply of freshwater with good quality, affordable prices and consistent reliability. The survival of human life is contingent on the availability of water. There is no guarantee that water will always be there, and this is becoming more and more evident as population increases and the supply decreases. Two major means for freshwater in the western United States are the Colorado River and the Ogallala Aquifer. These bodies of freshwater have had a vast history of disputes over how they should be allocated, maintained and treated. Up until now, there have been no agreements that have satisfied everyone. The allocation of fresh water resources in western America needs to be secured because if the status quo is maintained, the consequences will be enormous to humans and the environment, as well as the economy, whom are all dependent upon freshwater for survival. The Colorado River has had a long history of water allocation controversies. It is a major river that runs through seven states including Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, New Mexico, Arizona, California and Nevada. It then continues into Mexico and empties into the Gulf of California. This river is 1,450 miles long and supplies water to over 40 million people. (Imperial Valley) The seven states the river runs through came together in 1922 and agreed upon the Colorado River Compact. This governs the allocation of water along the river by dividing...
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