Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Worldwide Recycling Comparison Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Worldwide Recycling Comparison - Essay Example The composting of biodegradable waste products is also considered a form of recycling. The materials to be recycled are sorted, cleaned after collection, and then reprocessed to new products bound for manufacturing process (Blaine, Lichtkoppler, Jones, & Zondag, 2005). One of the countries that has effective recycling programs is Switzerland. Waste recycling in Oregon is done by following an act that makes a statewide system for managing solid waste. Most of the population places the tins, glass, newspaper, aluminium and other recyclable materials at curbside for pick up by the recycling companies. The materials may also be taken to public landfills, transfer stations and other convenient locations for pick up. After the materials are taken the collection centers, the full process of recycling follows until the products are sold in the market (Wong & S.-F, 2006). The process involves three main steps before the final product is released to the final users. Recycling includes the three steps that create a continuous loop represented by the conventional recycling symbol. The process encompasses the first stage that is the collection and processing of the materials to be recycled. The collection takes different shapes like curbside, drop-off centers and refund programs. The collection is followed by taking the recyclables t o a recovery facility to be sorted, cleaned and then processed into new products that can be used in the manufacturing industry (MacBride, 2012). The second step after material collection and sorting is manufacturing. Most of the products nowadays are made using recycled content. Most of the household products that have been made using recycled materials include among others, newspapers and paper towels, plastic and glass soft drink containers, steel cans and plastic laundry detergent bottles. The last step in the process is that of purchasing new products that are made from recycled materials.

Monday, October 28, 2019

Genetically Food Essay Example for Free

Genetically Food Essay An arguable statement about genetically engineered food being the means to end hunger around the world is gaining momentum as the population continues to increase and people continue to die of starvation. In the biotech world, what is known as agricultural biotechnology, supporters believe that this could guarantee and maintain food security for the hungry. On the other hand many people have concerns over consuming genetically engineered food. Many foods on the market today contain some part of GM (genetically modified) food. Approximately 85% of corn, 91% of soybeans, and 88% of cottonseed are genetically engineered which are used on food for human consumption. (http://truefoodnow. org/campaigns/genetically-engineered-foods/) The question remains on whether genetically engineered food safe? Various groups do not deem biotechnology as the answer to ending world hunger but they consider poverty to be the reason for the shortage of food worldwide. In order to discuss the possible advantages or disadvantages of genetically engineered food, it must be defined. Genetic Engineering as defined by Merriam-Webster is a group of applied techniques of genetics and biotechnology used to cut up and join together genetic material and especially DNA from one or more species of organism and to introduce the result into an organism in order to change one or more of its characteristics. The term Genetically Modified is commonly used term to describe food that has been modified in a laboratory to produce preferred traits such as resistance to pest and diseases, increased nutritional value, and much more. Farmers have been crossbreeding animals and plants for years to produce desired traits but this traditional form can be a lengthy process and not very accurate at times. Using a laboratory for genetic engineering not only can they yield the traits being sought after but can do it in a much faster rate and with more accuracy. In 2008, GM crops were planted on an estimated 308. 8 million acres worldwide, a year-over-year increase of 26. 4 million acres. (Turk Bensel, 2011) There are currently 25 countries growing genetically engineered crops. (Turk Bensel, 2011) In 1994 the first genetically engineered whole product, a tomato, went on the market. (Whitman) This not a new technology but people are becoming more aware of what they are in taking with their food. Supporters of GM food say that these foods pose no risk and are not different from conventional foods. As Tietel and Wilson stated in their book, Genetically Engineered Foods: Changing the Nature of Nature: What You Need to Know to Protect Yourself, Your Family, and Your Planet, would you want to be on a jetliner and open your morning paper as the plane is taking off see that they are just now doing test to determine whether or not the new model plane you are in is safe? Of course not, one would hope that all testing has been done prior to the plane being put into use. Our government, scientists, and researchers who support the concept are willing to allow genetically engineered food into our diets without sufficient testing being done to understand any long term effects. Numerous environmental groups feel that genetic engineering must be discarded due to the unknown effects they may have on humans. Some of the main arguments against GM foods are what environment hazards they may cause, the health risk to humans, and economic concerns. Genetically modified food is already present in some many food sources that we ingest; one would have to ask if there disadvantages to producing and utilizing genetically engineered food? Like anything else that is done there are hazards associated with the process and they must be addressed. The FDA set forth guidelines for testing to ensure the safety of bioengineered food. In 1994 they also established a consultation process to assist developers in meeting the safety standards set forth in their guidelines. (Bren, 2003) The problem many protestors of GM food see is that the consultation is not mandatory and is only on a volunteer basis. Nothing guarantees that all companies are using the volunteer process although the FDA believes they all are. A main safety concern involving genetically modified crops is the danger of introducing allergens and toxins into these foods. The news will report on huge jumps in childhood food allergies, but the reports fail to consider the link between the changes in America’s diet. (Smith, 2007) In the 1990s a study was done showing that people who were allergic to nuts had an allergic reaction to soybeans that had been altered using a protein found in Brazil Nuts. Some people have severe food allergies to nuts and reactions can be life threatening. The only way to conclusively test for allergies is by human consumption. Opponents of GM food state the people are being used as guinea pigs. (Smith, 2007) Incidents such as the allergic reactions to GM soybeans shows how vitally important it is to label products that have been engineered. Governments and factions that back genetically engineered foods don’t feel labeling are necessary because they say there is no significant difference between GM food and unmodified food. If genetically modified food is going to be a success, we have to market it, not hide it, said Elbert van Donkersgoed, executive director of the Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario. (Strathdee, 1999) Consumers have the right to be informed. Organic foods are labeled; beef that has been grass fed only and contains no hormones are labeled, as well as eggs that were produced by cage free chickens. Everything has a label saying what it is made of except when it comes to GM food. By not labeling GM products it makes it seem as if there is something to hide about them. Fears over what genetically modified crops may do to the environment have activist condemning corporations for putting profit over possible hazards. Herbicide-tolerant crops are designed to tolerate herbicides that are used to kill unwanted plants such as weeds but can also kill the crop. These types of are commonly known as Roundup ready because they are designed to resist Monsanto’s glyphosate herbicide, known as Roundup. (Turk Bensel, 2011) The worries is that weeds will cross-breed with the Roundup ready crops and create a super weed that will be hard to kill. Now the weeds that died when treated with Roundup are now resistant just like the crops. Having super weeds would force companies to come up with different chemical compounds to combat the issue possibly causing new toxins to be released into the environment. Roundup ready seeds become useless and now farmers lose money because they can’t keep the weeds out of their crops. Not only do you worry about cross-breeding the possibility of cross-pollination can happen from one farmer’s field of GM crops to another farmer’s field of non GM crops. Farmers have been sued because companies feel slighted saying that GM seeds were used and they received no money from it. Moral questions are raised whether it is truly about the money are helping to produce better food sources? Along with herbicide-tolerant crops, you also have insect-resistant crops that have pesticides inserted to help with pest control. Just like with herbicide-tolerant crops, you run the risk of insects mutating and no longer being affected by the pesticide. DDT (dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane) which was developed in the 1940s was used to fight insect-borne diseases such as malaria, typhus, and others that effected crops and animals as well. For awhile it was affective on mosquitoes but some species became immune to and rendering it ineffective. It was eventually banned due to be harmful to humans and the environment in the United States. Using crops that have pesticides in them we run the risk of pesticides becoming useless. Besides the health and environmental hazards, there are also economic concerns as well. Making genetically modified food is costly and lengthy process and agricultural companies are looking to make a profit. They patent their products and technologies so that no one can violate their rights and use them. Consumers worry about prices been driven up by the patents and farmers and poorer countries not being able to pay for them. With all these negative aspects that I have mentioned it no wonder that so many are against the use and genetically modified crops. Consumer advocates see that most companies seem to be in it for the financial gain and not to end world hunger. Not every aspect involving genetically modified crops is bad. They contain some very good attributes that may be able fix the supply and demand for food for the world’s growing population. Food would no longer be a scarce commodity and the supply could be increased to meet the demands of a growing population. The main advantages of bioengineered crops are the ability to incorporate pesticides and herbicides into the seed, being able to increase the nutritional value to better meets the needs of the impoverished, pharmaceutical purposes, cold and drought tolerance, and phytoremediation. Crop losses for farmers from insects can ravage them financially cause famine for third world countries. Due to the threat of insects farmers use a lot of chemicals to protect their crops. Chemicals have proven to be harmful to the environment, animals, and humans. Agricultural waste has polluted water ways and damaged some ecosystems beyond repair. Genetically modified crops with pesticides added into them reduces the need to spray large amounts of chemicals that pollute the air and water. Similar to crops altered with pesticides, herbicide-tolerant plants reduce the amount of herbicides used keep crops from being killed by them lessens the destructive outcome on the environment. Spraying herbicides is very time consuming and often will take multiple sprayings to be affective. Expenses associated with treating crops are reduced and agricultural waste is nearly eliminated. This transforms to savings for consumers and makes food more affordable for those living in poverty. Certain areas of the world are prone to drought while others may have unexpected frost. Scientist and developers have created an anti-freeze gene that will keep crops from dying off in during a cold snap. With climate change and weather becoming unpredictable this technology will benefit so many. In countries like Africa that dessert conditions farmers will be able to grow crops that are able to survive long periods without rain. States that receive snow and freezing temperatures as earlier as October will be able to yield crops after the first frost. Everyone has seen the commercials on of the starving children asking to you to give just thirty cents a day to help feed them. Children featured are malnourished and living off nothing more than rice and water. Where poverty is so far spread in underdeveloped countries and people’s diet only consist of a few items, they still lack the necessary nutrients that are needed for survival. Consequences of not getting a balanced diet full of vitamins and minerals will cause many to die or suffer other ailments that are preventable with vitamins and minerals such as blindness. What if the rice may possibly be altered to add in the vital missing vitamins and minerals? The nutritional value of the food could be enhanced to include beta-carotene which is vitamin A, that would fix the deficiency and keep people from going blind due to the lack there of this vitamin. Researchers at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Institute for Plant Sciences have created a strain of golden rice containing an unusually high content of beta-carotene. (Whitman, 2000) There millions of people around the world in undeveloped countries and are impoverished and unable to afford life saving vaccines and medicines. Vaccines and medicine are costly to produce and sometimes require certain storage conditions which a lot of countries don’t have where the poor live. Scientists are growing plants that will produce anti-bodies to fight heart disease, cancer, and tooth decay. (Bren, 2003) Not only that, they are also experimenting with fruits and vegetables that contain vaccines. This would make them so much easier to ship, store, and administer compared to traditional ways. Countless lives may possibly be saved. Survival of the human race and the ending of pointless suffering is great advantage to biotechnology. Humans have caused so much pollution to the planet. Numerous ecosystems have been destroyed and thousands of species are now extinct. Phytoremediation is the altering of plants such as trees to help clean up heavy metal contamination from the soil. The roots would soak up contaminates and clean the soil so that it becomes viable once again. Pollution plagues society in almost everything we do. Biotechnology is the wave of the future. Advocates of GM food truly feel that the technological advances ought to be seen as beneficial and way to end global hunger and help the environment. Famine and malnourishment could be things of the past. Picture a world where everyone has enough food to eat, afforded medicines, and vaccines, and the environment is cleaner due to less chemicals being used. Scientist and researchers are always looking for ways to better the planet for the survival of mankind for generations to come. The issue arises is that there are still so many unknowns with genetically modified food. Further test need to be conducted to fully conclude that no long term effects exist and that is safe for humans and animals. The answer to world hunger is staring us in the face and through proper education we should not be afraid to use it. References http://www. epa. gov/pesticides http://www. merriam-webster. com http://truefoodnow. org/campaigns/genetically-engineered-foods/ Bren, L.(2003). Genetic Engineering: the Future of Foods? FDA Consumer; Nov/Dec 2003; 37, 6; Research Library Core pg. 28 Marshall, M. (2012). GM food: The Case For The defense. New Scientist, 216(2886), 8-9. Smith, J. (2007). Genetically Engineered Foods May Cause Rising Food Allergies—Genetically Engineered Soybeans Retrieved from http://www. responsibletechnology. org/gmo-dangers/health-risks Strathdee, M. (1999). Group demands mandatory labeling of genetically altered food. Canadian Press News Wire. Retrieved from http://search. proquest. com/docview/359528626? accountid=32521 Thomas, L. Of, T. P. (2002). Genetically altered food creates labeling dilemma for the industry. St. Louis Post Dispatch. Retrieved from http://search. proquest. com/docview/402087128? accountid=32521 Teitel, M. , Wilson, K. (1999). Genetically Engineered Foods : Changing the Nature of Nature: What You Need to Know to Protect Yourself, Your Family, and Your Planet. Park Street Press. Turk, J. , Bensel, T. (2011). Contemporary environmental issues. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc Whitman, D. (2000). Genetically Modified Foods: Harmful or Helpful? Retrieved from http://www. csa. com/discoveryguides/gmfood/overview. php.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Serenity of the Field Essay -- Observation Essays, Descriptive Essays

As I drive up the hill, passing the mailbox and the meticulously groomed lawn, I find myself taking on a transformation. I breathe a sigh of relief and feel the tension drain from my body in anticipation of seeing "my place." As I turn the corner I see it, to anyone else it just looks like a simple field. But to me, it is my sanctuary that I can escape from the hectic world. This is where I can relax and feel like I’m a kid again. In my field, for a short while time stops, and I don’t have to worry what needs done next. This place also holds many wonderful memories as well as making new ones each year. The field right next to my mom’s house and this is an area where I grew up, living there until I moved off to school. I enjoyed the field by myself just as much as when I was with a group of people. The field sits on the top of a hill and through a clearing in the surrounding woods, farms and other fields offer a panoramic view. In the winter, when the trees are bare of leaves but covered in snow, one can see for miles in any direction. In the summer, the field was the location of the weekly neighborhood baseball series, as well as tackle football with the boys. We spent most of the day running up and down the field and imagining we were the best athletes. The boys would get carried away and take advantage of the girls’ size. They would zero in on the girls and see how hard they could slam them into the ground. There were quite a few times when I was slow to get up because I was hit so hard that it blurred my vision and knocked the wind out of me. When the boys saw my a gony they were amused. They saw this as more incentive to hit even harder. This is one of the many reasons that the girls learned early to fend for themselves. J... ...t to get together, touch base, and catch up with all of the old friends and family. The field is also where I liked to go when I was upset or needed a place to be alone. I went there often in my early teenage years when I was frustrated and needed time to sort out my confusion. It was my own personal, quite place that no one invaded, unlike my bedroom in the house. The field’s view and serenity somehow made me think more clearly and made my problems feel less like the end of the world. This is one of the comforts that I miss from my parents’ house, so when I visit my parents, I visit my place as well. Now when I look back at all of the good times and the peaceful ones also, I feel at ease. I know that every summer at the beginning of July that I will see everyone just the same as last year. And we will create more memories for me to look back at and smile.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Pocahontas :: essays research papers

Who really was Pocahontas? Was she like the Indian girl in the Disney movie, who saved her reservation? Yes and no. She was an Indian of the Algonquian Indians. Her father was Powhatan, the chief. Her original name, however was in fact, Matoaka. But Pocahontas mean â€Å"playful, frolicsome little girl† and so they nicknamed her that.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The meeting and capturing of her acquaintance, and possible first love, John Smith, was in fact true. But, the saving of him may be as made up and make believe as the movie. Many people speculate the authenticity of the â€Å"execution and salvation† story, told by Smith. Supposedly, Smith’s Englishmen team landed in Jamestown, 12 miles from the Indian reservation. John Smith was captured and forced to stretch on two flat stones, then out of nowhere, and little Indian girl cam up and put herself on his body as to say, â€Å"Kill me instead†. Weather this is true or not, it doesn’t change the rest of her story. After the â€Å"saved’ him, Smith and the Indians became friendly for the following year. Smith stayed in Jamestown, and Pocahontas visited him frequently. She carried messages from her father, and other Indians carried food, fur, and then traded hatchets and trinkets. After a while, Smith’s relationship with the Powhatas worsened. Pocahontas’s visits started to lessen, and in 1806, Smith was injured, and had to go back to England. Pocahontas went on with her life though, she married an Indian â€Å"Pryvate Captyne† named Kocoum in 1610. Although in 1614, she fell in love with an Englishman, John Rolfe. They married and she got baptized. They went to London with a man named Sir Thomas Dale, and a dozen other Indians. She was presented to King James I, and all of the royal family. John Smith, the man who she had not seen in eight years, was also in London at the time. They met, and talked about the past, but at first she couldn’t speak, she was overcome with emotion. This was their last meeting.After 6 months, Ralf and his family wanted to go back to Virginia, but unfortunately, Pocahontas didn’t make it. She was ill from pneumonia. Pocahontas affected society, she was a compassionate girl, and saw to it that the colonists got food. She was also known to have saved lives of certain colonists. John Smith wrote that Pocohontas was â€Å" the instrument to pursurve this colony from death, famine and utter confusion.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Modernity/Post-modernity: has is brought more harm than good on institutions like the family?

According to Marshall Berman, modernity is a mode of vital experience of space and time, of the self and others, of life's possibilities and perils-that is shared by men and women all over the world today. To be modern, he suggests is to find ourselves in an environment that promises us adventure, power, joy, growth, transformation of ourselves and the world-and, at the same time, that threatens to destroy everything we have, everything we know, everything we are. Modern environments and experiences cut across all boundaries of geography and ethnicity, of class and nationality, of religion and ideology: in this sense, modernity can be said to unite all mankind. But it is a paradoxical unity, a unity of disunity: it pours us all into a maelstrom of perpetual disintegration and renewal, of struggle and contradiction, of ambiguity and anguish. To be modern is to be part of a universe in which, as Marx said, â€Å"all that is solid melts into air.† ( Marshall Berman, www†¦) Modern life has been characterised with great discoveries in the physical sciences, changing our images of the universe and our place in it; the industrialization of production, which transforms scientific knowledge into technology, creates new human environments and destroys old ones, generates new forms of corporate power and class struggle; (Marshall Berman, www†¦) According to Giddens, modernity refers to modes of social life or organisation which emerged in Europe from about the 17th century onwards. It is an era distinguished by discontinuities which separate modern social institution from traditional order. The characteristics of this era are; – the pace of change- rapid change in modernity i.e. technology – the scope of change – particular institutional forms (e.g. capitalism, nation state and the differences in the nature of institutions between modern and traditional ones. According to Giddens, the modes of life have moved us away from all traditional types of social order. This is because they have served to establish forms of social interconnection and they have come to alter some of the most intimate and personal features of our day-to-day existence, (reading). As we can gather, modernity is about change from traditional ways to modern ways of doing things. In this discussion, I discuss the impact of modernity on institutions most especially the family. Has modernity brought more harm than good? Traditionally as most of us believe, life at the very beginning evolved very much around Christianity and belief in God. This shaped people's lifestyles, ways of living and thus the society. Christianity and the belief in God is the tradition that has been abandoned as a result of modernity, as put by Kirk Thomas, â€Å"†¦the tradition which promised to become fruitful some 350 years ago proposed that the best hope for authentic human flourishing would come through diligent attention being given to two sources of truth; the word and the world of God. Human beings would understand their true destiny and be able to enjoy it to the full only as they read and lived on the basis of two books; the bible as both the record of both God's action within and the interpretation of the whole reality and nature as a source of human nourishment and pleasure, (K.T, www†¦). This tradition Kirk continues was ‘sabotaged from within and distorted from without'- from within, the tradition was vandalised by a ‘will to power' due to conflict between forces of the reformation and the counter reformation and from without, the tradition was deformed by the ‘will to independence', (K, Thomas). As time progressed, the word was not seen as the only source of knowledge or truth. Slowly there was the realisation that reasoning could occur without having to depend on faith- thus there was the development of scientific knowledge in the attempt by humans to separate truth from falsehood, reason from unreason and fact from fiction. This was seen as the way to examine causes of human problems and analyse them. As a result, human's dreams of the future dominated their imaginations- the dream of a society of social harmony free from oppression and ignorance. By contrasting such a bright future and the past- the dark ages to be overcome, it seemed development was irreversible, there was no turning back, (Catrell). Human's desire for reason made it become the sole action in society, then it became an autonomous power which carried other oppressive powers within its bosom- capitalism, colonialism, technology and state bureaucracy- this was the birth ob modernity. The book of the word was shut and the world became more important. Transition is ongoing, humans are striving to achieve more and more. What are the effects of this on modern society, institutions and the individual? Modern era exacerbates the changes triggered by the industrial revolution that mainly affect economic life, culture and the family. Postmodern life is characterised according to Peter Berg as; a) suffering from time- famine- this is because the requirements of capitalism are too demanding and occur at other spheres of life, i.e. leisure, spiritual life and the family b) because the other spheres of life become less important to man, he becomes hyper- individualistic where individual self- fulfilment is the life long quest and priority. Family therefore becomes less important than it was before ‘modernisation. As a result, it becomes more single headed as unwed parenthood becomes normal, where as during the pre- modern era, family was very crucial to people's livelihoods as they depended highly on each other. The community was much more important than the individual. People held close bonds in the beliefs they shared and the norms that they were careful not to break. Modernity therefore has been a complex cultural and social movement that has/is changing the shape of the society today. Let us look closely at the effects of modernity on the family. There is the dissolving of the nuclear family showing that people are not as highly dependent on each other as they were before modernisation. Today is mostly every man for himself, looking after mainly his immediate family because of the high demands the society has on the individual, the push it has for making the individual strive to better himself at all cost. Today there is an increase in the use of birth control and abortion. In the past, a young woman that fell pregnant had to be hidden from the society or chased from her home because she was seen as such a disgrace, but nonetheless, people, valued life so much that abortion even in the most difficult circumstances was not an option. Today in modern times, it is legal. Could it be because modernity has resulted into us putting such little value on children and family than our ancestors? The move from tradition to scientific has given a licence to man to play God. For example, there is the issue of cloning and an increasingly permissive attitude towards euthanasia. Whether these are ‘harms or good' brought by modernity, one has to decide. Modernity has provided us with a lot of choices that our ancestors didn't have. As put by Marshall Berman, â€Å"the promised land into which we have crossed flowing with rapid technological progress and endless consumer goods seems like a splendid world indeed- but is there an underside to the bewildering options before us? Does too much choice become unhealthy? Does choice ever become dangerous'. Our fundamental identities as men and women he writes are matters of choice and construction. He states that in our age, we have moved from fate or destiny to choice. Simply put, we have choices to make where our ancestors did not. We choose our education, our profession, our spouses and our places to live. ‘Modernity has made us turn our children into acquisitions. Modern technology has made a reality what the pre modern mind could only imagine as an utter oxymoron: planned parenthood and genetic engineering will soon manufacture for us the blonde- haired, blue- eyed designer child that we order. Modernity has seduced us into exploiting the institution of work and family to fuel the appetites of the self, but that appetite is impossible to satisfy'. The question therefore is, is it good or bad that the individual is slowly and rapidly achieving the perfection he strives for? He has so many alternatives than did our ancestors. It is clear that the family is one of the institutions that has been greatly affected my modernity. According to Gordon Anderson, in the modern era, four behavioural factors undermine the traditional family; * the distinction between primary and secondary groups- the former is the small intimate, effective group exemplified by the family and dominant in the pre- industrial society- the latter is the large scale, depersonalised, rational organisation illustrated by the modern corporation and modern state. Modernisation is essentially the progressive rationalisation of society and the gradual eclipse of primary by secondary relationships. Modern societies he states are planned economies. Bourgeois, capitalism and socialism are dominated by secondary groups and relations and in these case the family is less important. Family in modern times is characterised with low birth rates, high rate of divorce and abortion and weak family institution. * In the bourgeois society, family is also undermined because there is a drive to move private issues over to the realm of the public policy- that is deviant behaviour, personal relationships, family life and other areas of life that were private become objects of state concerns and involvement. * Anderson states that the weakening of the family in modern society stems from the growth of individualism- rather than group- centeredness * As a result of medical technology, demographic trends and the materialistic value of the system of modern society, sexual behaviour becomes less of a procreation activity and more of a recreation. For example, single women or gay people may choose to have children even without the attachment of marriage. Sex has become like taking a cup of coffee. Children today can start having sex as early as 12 years old whereas in pre modern times, courtship was the only thing to do before couples got married, ( Anderson) The causes of family change in postmodern era Technology and the economy- The family is changing because of the electronic transformation of the post modern era where information and misinformation are transmitted with increasing speed to increasing numbers of people thus also changing the nature of human communication. There is no need for families to stay together when they can easily communicate in a short time via emails telephone etc. Giddens also saw this in his characterisation of modernity under what he called the separation of time and space. He stresses on the difference between space and place. Place he says, refers to the physical setting of social activity as situated geographically and that unlike pre-modern societies where place and space coincide, the advent of modernity he suggests tears space away from place by fostering relations between absent others. In other words, modernity compresses everything; communication as a result is fast in reaching those people that one is not living with. Giddens also talks about time and space under the characteristic of modernity called, disembedding- this he says is the lifting out of social relations from local contents of interaction and their restructuring across indefinite spans of time and space. This he states occurs in two ways, through the creation of symbolic tokens and the development of expert systems. By symbolic tokens he means, the media interchange which can be passed around without regard to those that handle them. Expert systems, he states are systems of technical accomplishments or professional expertise that recognise large areas of test material and social environments in which we live today. All these only show us that the family will keep on changing due to modernity because the individual has other ways of getting by, i.e. through the use of symbolic tokens such as money, or through putting trust in expert systems. Another cause of family change is demographic, for example the decline in population of some countries I.e., Japan, Germany, Italy, etc. Even those countries that are over populated are also trying to reduce population by changing the structure of the family. Another cause in family change. In the realm of values the following transformations occur, these are; > The cultural and ideological elite of the postmodern world from old-fashioned economic politics to new identity politics. Social movements pursue psychological and cultural objectives such as gay pride and politically correct language. Feminism's goals increasingly combine economic equality and cultural equality > The search for self-fulfilment now assumes the forms of new age religious, environments and communal movements. All these transformations in society have resulted into changes in the family. Another cause is the reversal of home life and priorities. Due to the fact that in this era people are ‘time bind'- demands of work and parenting clash- the home becomes the arena for stress and work haven to which parents escape to socialise with friends and colleagues. As we can see, work which was once historically a survival necessity is turned into a good. In agricultural societies, work occurs at home on the farm, industrialisation and the rise of the factory pulls work out of the home thus causing a physical separation between home/family life and work/economic life, ( Anderson). Feminism in this era has also made the modern woman to see a job as not something to put up with, but something desired, a mark of liberation, a source of identity, meaning and self -esteem. Staying at home with babies and diapers is viewed as torture and oppression. Does this show the victory of corporate capitalism which seems to have taken over the working class and has triumphed finally over the family, the home and the private sphere? What are the consequences for the individual and society? When reality changes, humans have no choice but to redefine it, i.e. when the original concept family declines, other concepts are formed, i.e. families of gay parents and single parents redefine the family. The issue of whether or not changes of the family are good or bad is debatable. On one hand, one may say, pre industrial families in fact suffered from more severe pathologies that does modern evolving family including domestic violence, child abuse and marital rape- the patriarchy family was not kind to all its members, on the other hand to day, there is a lot of emphasis on individual freedom of choice. Consequences for children- less primary socialisation in the home as there is a lot of single parenting in the modern era and there is also a high emphasis on the importance of work and the increase in day care. Mothers also suffer as divorce causes them a decline in income and bad physical and mental health. What are the consequences of these for the society? The rise of mass society- where a society is polarised between a mass of atomised and alienated individuals on the one hand and an overbearing state on the other. In mass societies individuals pay allegiance to themselves and to their nation- nothing in between The rise of the nanny state- with high divorce rates, single parenthood and childlessness and increased freedom of choice, a substitute father emerges- the nanny. Decline of civility- Kirk suggests that the absence of effective socialisation agents will produce a stunted self, thus leading to a decline in civility because he states that the quality of an individual self depends on his/her socialization. The result of an increase in dysfunctional families is an increase in children with criminal activities and hobbies. Dysfunctional families he says produce stunted selves because they fail to do their job, (Kirk Thomas) Modernity and post modernity have brought a lot of changes to the family and the society as a whole. The major causes of family decline are deeply rooted in major social, cultural, economic and technological trends that have been underway for several centuries. However, whether the changes brought forward are positive or negative is up to the individual to decide.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Biography of Architect Richard Rogers, Designer of 3 WTC

Biography of Architect Richard Rogers, Designer of 3 WTC British architect Richard Rogers (born July 23, 1933) has designed some of the most important buildings of the modern era. Beginning with the Parisian Centre Pompidou, his building designs have been characterized as being inside out, with facades that look more like working mechanical rooms. In 2007 he received architectures highest honor and became a Pritzker Architecture Prize Laureate. He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II, becoming Lord Rogers of Riverside, but in the U.S. Rogers is best known for rebuilding Lower Manhattan after 9/11/01. His 3 World Trade Center was one of the last towers to be realized. Fast Facts: Richard Rogers Occupation: British ArchitectBorn: July 23, 1933 in Florence, ItalyEducation: Yale UniversityKey Accomplishments: Centre Pompidou with Renzo Piano; Three World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan; 2007 Pritzker Architecture Prize Early Life Born in Florence, Italy to an English father and Italian mother, Richard Rogers was raised and educated in Britain. His father studied medicine and hoped that Richard would pursue a career in dentistry. Richards mother was interested in modern design and encouraged her sons interest in the visual arts. A cousin, Ernesto Rogers, was one of Italys prominent architects. In his Prizker acceptance speech, Rogers noted that it was Florence where my parents instilled in my brother Peter and me a love of beauty, a sense of order, and the importance of civic responsibility. As war broke out in Europe, the Rogers family moved back to England in 1938 where young Richard attended public schools. He was dyslexic and did not do well. Rogers had a run-in with the law, entered the National Service, became inspired by the work of his relative, Ernesto Rogers, and ultimately decided to enter Londons Architectural Association school. Later he moved to the U.S. to pursue a masters degree in architecture at Yale University on a Fulbright Scholarship. There he developed relationships that would last a lifetime. Partnerships After Yale, Rogers worked for Skidmore, Owings Merrill (SOM) in the U.S. When he finally returned to England, he formed Team 4 architectural practice with Norman Foster, Fosters wife Wendy Cheeseman, and Rogers wife Su Brumwell. By 1967, the couples had split to form their own firms. In 1971 Rogers entered a partnership with the Italian architect Renzo Piano. Although the partnership dissolved in 1978, both architects became world famous with their work in Paris France - the Centre Pompidou, completed in 1977. Rogers and Piano had invented a new type of architecture, where the mechanics of a building were not simply transparent but showcased as part of the facade. It was a different kind of postmodern architecture that many began to call high-tech and inside-out architecture. Exterior of Centre Pompidou. Richard T. Nowitz/Getty Images Rogers chose good partners, although it was Renzo Piano and not Rogers who in 1998 would win the first Pritzker Prize and then Norman Foster won in 1999. Rogers won in 2007, and the Pritzker Jury was still talking about Pompidou, saying it revolutionized museums, transforming what had once been elite monuments into popular places of social and cultural exchange, woven into the heart of the city. After Pompidou, the team split and the Richard Rogers Partnership was established 1978, which eventually became Rogers Stirk Harbour Partners in 2007. Personal Life Rogers married Susan (Su) Brumwell before they both went off to study at Yale University - he studied architecture and she studied town planning. She was the daughter of Marcus Brumwell who headed the Design Research Unit (DRU), a moving force in British design. The couple had three children and divorced in the 1970s, during the work on Centre Pompidou. Shortly after, Rogers married the former Ruth Elias of Woodstock, New York and Providence, Rhode Island. Called Ruthie, Lady Rogers is a well-known chef in Britain. The couple had two children. All of Richard Rogers children are sons. Famous Quote Architecture is too complex to be solved by any one person. Collaboration lies at the heart of all my work. Legacy Like all great architects, Richard Rogers is a collaborator. He partners not only with people but also with new technologies, the environment, and the societies in which we all live. He was an eary champion of energy efficiency and sustainability in a profession that came late to taking responsibility in protecting the environment. His fascination with technology is not merely for artistic effect, cites the Pritzker Jury, but more importantly, it is a clear echo of a buildings program and a means to make architecture more productive for those it serves. Inside Lloyds of London. Sean Batten/Getty Images (cropped) After the success of the Centre Pompidou in the 1970s, Rogers next huge project was the Lloyds of London building completed in 1986. The Pritzker Jury cited it as another landmark of late twentieth century design and that it established Richard Rogers’ reputation as a master not only of the large urban building, but also of his own brand of architectural expressionism. In the 1990s Rogers tried his hand at tensile architecture and created Londons temporary Millennium Dome, which is still being used as the O2 arena center of entertainment in Southeast London. The Rogers Partnership has designed buildings and cities all over the world - from Japan to Spain, Shanghai to Berlin, and Sydney to New York. In the U.S. he was part of the redevelopment of Lower Manhattan after the terrorist attacks of 9/11 - Tower 3 at 175 Greenwich Street is a Rogers design, completed in 2018. Rogers legacy is as the responsible architect, the professional who considers the workplace, the building site, and the world we share. He was the first architect to deliver the prestigious Reitch Lecture in 1995. In Sustainable City: Cities for a Small Planet he lectured the world: Other societies have faced extinction - some, like the Easter Islanders of the Pacific, the Harappa civilization of the Indus Valley, the Teotihuacan in pre-Columbian America, due to ecological disasters of their own making. Historically, societies unable to solve their environmental crises have either migrated or become extinct. The vital difference today is that the scale of our crisis is no longer regional but global: it involves all of humanity and the entire planet. The Leadenhall Building, London, UK. Oli Scarff/Getty Images

Monday, October 21, 2019

Jet task 2 Essays

Jet task 2 Essays Jet task 2 Essay Jet task 2 Essay jet 2 Task 2 There are a few areas of concern with the Budget that Competition Bike, Inc. has displayed within their budget for year 9. The most prominent area of concern in is in the Revenue section of the budget. In the budget for year 9, Competition has included units sold to be 3510. This is a lofty prediction given that year 8 had seen such a big decline in that number. In year 8, Competition sold 3400 units, but the previous year had sold around 4000 units, a 15 % decline. The company is hoping for n upswing, but this may be too positive of an estimation. To go with that, Competition is only allowing for $984 more dollars in advertising for year 9. If they had budgeted maybe $2000-$3000 more to this category to get to where their advertising spending was in year 7 when they sold 4000 units, their budget of increased sales in year 9 would not be as suspect. In the Budgeted Income Statement, Competition Bikes has budgeted $1340038 for Selling, General, and Administrative Expenses. This is a little high as in year 7, when he highest number of units was sold, that category totaled $1322075. Sometimes this number is budgeted high to help show how well the company managed the budget, as they have built in extra that they know that they can beat. This is not in the best interest of the company, however, because the goal is not aggressively set, and there is no real push to beat the budgeted amount. The other concern with this area is that a lot of the key components in this category should remain relatively similar to revious years. For example, Executive Compensation, Employment taxes, Payroll Service, Depreciation Expense, and Administrative Salaries were the exact same for Years 7 8. Given that these should remain the same in year 9; it is unclear why the company is budgeting more than $50,000 in this area than the previous year. I would suggest that the budgeted amount be somewhere between the year 7 8 amounts, given the positive prediction that sales will increase, which would put it between $1273867 and $1322075. This over statement in this category has also led to the company to under budget their Operating Income which they have budgeted at $80585. With the prediction of selling more units than year 8, the company should be budgeting a higher Operating Income than the previous years amount of $97,533. They definitely should not be indicating that they will be selling more but making less. This would be a bad financial sign for the company, as it is showing a lack of leadership and management skills. Jet task 2 By wahabfun