Old and New Testament Essay

In Mary Shelley’s novel, Frankenstein, the central theme for discussion is the relationship that exists between the creator and that which he is creating. In this particular work, Shelley focuses on a scientist who makes his life’s work out of manipulating molecules to create his own special brand of humanity. In addition to that, the author touches on issues of good and evil in regards to how Dr. Victor Frankenstein develops his own human being. In this work, the relationship between the master and his creation parallels those themes of â€Å"God† and â€Å"human†, which are addressed in the Bible, by providing a commentary on the idea of good and evil. The emotional roller coaster that the creator goes through in Frankenstein is not only poignant, but it also a very important aspect of the story. After assembling the monster, Dr. Frankenstein finds that he does not feel particularly well about his creation and in fact, he even feels a big of horror because of what he has done. The emotions do not stop there, however. The doctor feels a measure of fear over what he has created, simply because it was even more disgusting and vile than what he had set out to put together. Because of all these emotions, with especially fear, Dr. Frankenstein feels the strong desire to remove himself from the creation that had dominated his life. The realization of what he had created was an important moment in Shelley’s novel and it served as an eye-opener for the doctor, who had immersed himself in the situation so deeply that he could not recognize the beast he was creating. In the story, Shelley writes, â€Å"It was on a dreary night of November, that I beheld the accomplishment of my toils. With an anxiety that almost amounted to agony, I collected the instruments of life around me, that I might infuse a spark of being into the lifeless thing that lay at my feet. It was already one in the morning; the rain pattered dismally against the panes, and my candle was nearly burnt out, when, by the glimmer of the half-extinguished light, I saw the dull yellow eye of the creature open; it breathed hard, and a convulsive motion agitated its limbs,† (Ch. 5, 34-35). In this quotation, the raw emotion and horror of Dr. Frankenstein can be seen. He realizes that he has not created a human being, but rather a monstrous beast. Victor Frankenstein is abhorred at his creation, which is the same sort of sentiment that God expressed in the Old Testament of the Bible when looking at his creation. In that part of the Bible, there are strong themes of destruction that always comes to the most wicked of individuals. Throughout the books, there are numerous examples of God being devastated by what he has created, and then wiping them out because of their wickedness. One of the most well known of these stories is the story of Noah and the flood, where God nearly wipes out the entire race except for one man. In this way, similarities exist between Shelley’s example of creator and creation and the examples set forth in the Bible. Shelley presents Victor as a figure who is quite conflicted. Not only is he strangely devastated by his final creation, but he also has some distaste for himself because he has taken on the role normally reserved for God. Just because he seeks to leave the monster and his bad decisions behind does not mean that the monster is willing to leave him alone, though. In the book, the creation seeks out his creator, looking for the type of belonging that exists between a creator and that thing he has created. The development of Victor as a character can be seen in how he handles the monster in this situation. At one point, the monster comes to Victor with hopes that the doctor might create a female companion for him. The doctor chooses, however, not to do this because of what effect creating one monster has had on his life. In a way, it can be said that he has learned his lesson and he wants nothing to do with the idea of playing God anymore. By doing this, Victor had to make a very difficult choice. In the sense of what is said in the Bible, the creator has a certain responsibility to his creations. Victor chooses to forsake those responsibilities for the simple fact that he is tired of a being a creator and playing God. He would rather watch his creation suffer than have to go through the personal torment of creating another being. The complicated dialogue that occurs in the story as told by Victor Frankenstein is his regret in creating the creature, not firstly due to the monster’s murders but initially due to the failure it represents of Frankenstein’s genius. His endeavors to re-create humanity go asunder with the monster’s ‘birth’ –in the comparison of Victor and god, the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah is done because God is displeased with humanity despite him making them in his own image; there is too much sin in the cities that the only possible action is to destroy them both. This is the same thought that Victor has in relation to his sinful creation. Victor feels discontent for his decisions for a number of reasons. On one hand, he is ashamed of some of the things that the monster has done. The monster goes out and murders people, causing widespread destruction and pain for many individuals. In some way, Victor feels responsible for this because he created the monster and because he refused to help the monster. In addition, Victor is not content with the fact that he failed miserably in his quest to play God and create the perfect human being. Since the monster is so flawed in so many ways, he is a living, breathing embodiment of the failure that Victor has to put up with each and every day. A Biblical correlation can be drawn in this, as well. In the Bible, God destroys the town of Sodom and Gomorrah because of what it had become. Like Victor, God attempted to create people in his own image, giving them what he thought was the ability to do good. When the town was overrun by gambling, prostitution, and other sin, God had to destroy it in order to preserve humanity. The doctor has the same desire to destroy what the monster has become. In the book, Shelley writes, â€Å"The world was to [him] a secret which [he] desired to divine. Curiosity, earnest research to learn the hidden laws of nature, gladness akin to rapture, as they were unfolded to [him], are among the earliest sensations [he] can remember . . . It was the secrets of heaven and earth that [he] desired to learn; and whether it was the outward substance of things or the inner spirit of nature and the mysterious soul of man that occupied [him], still [his] inquiries were directed to the metaphysical, or in it highest sense, the physical secrets of the world,† (Ch. 2, 18). This quote explains the doctor’s desire to get it right. He did not set out to create a destructive monster, so when that came out as the result, he had an obvious amount of resentment towards his creation. Similarly, God perceives the cities to be nothing but a disgusting waste of his creative power. He sees not the beauty that he hoped to create, but the most vile, disgusting place on earth. Likewise, Victor sees the same sort of disgusting nature in his beast. Victor states in the story, â€Å"†[a] flash of lightning illuminated the object and discovered its shape plainly to me; its gigantic stature, and the deformity of its aspect, more hideous than belongs to humanity, instantly informed me that it was the wretch, the filthy demon to whom [he] had given life. † Victor goes so far as to even give his creation a Satanic moniker, showing the absolute disgust that he has for the beast. This is a clear correlation with the Biblical reference that was presented above. One of the most important parts of the book comes when the monster makes his journey from Ingolstadt to Geneva. Though the monster has great disdain for his relationship with his creator, he is actually free to discover, on his own, ideas about humanity. In this, one can compare the monster to Adam and Eve following their removal from the Garden of Eden. Like those two, the monster is thrown out on his own and he is forced to make his own way. This also causes him a great deal of disgust for his creator, similar to how human beings have disdain for their creator at times. The monster holds these strong feelings of cynicism almost to the end and he applies them to almost every situation in his life. He seeks revenge against Victor because he feels abandoned. In the work, Shelley writes, â€Å", â€Å"‘All men hate the wretched; how then, must I be hated, who am miserable beyond all living things! Yet you, my creator, detest and spurn me, the creature, to whom thou art bound by ties only dissoluble by the annihilation of one of us,'† (Shelley 68). The monster’s revenge causes him to murder Victor’s brother, William. This is the beginning of the absolute hate that exists between Victor and the monster and this powers the action in the book almost exclusively. When the monster turns his disdain into rage and begins to murder everyone close to Victor, he makes the creator hate his creation even more. Victor struggles with this idea, though, as he puts much of the blame on himself since he gave life and power to the monster that now haunts him. As the story progresses, Victor realizes that the only chance he has to give his creation redemption is to remove himself from the earth. His death ultimate allows the monster to serve a different purpose than simply seeking out Victor for revenge. Over the course of the book, Victor’s goal had not been to look after the well being of his creation, but rather to continue his role of playing God. Eventually, he comes to see that his death is the only thing that will give the monster an opportunity. Shelley’s book closes with strong themes of redemption, which are represented in the death of Victor and in the idea that the monster can go on. Victor provides the ultimate abandonment by leaving the earth, but in this act, he is doing a measure of good. The entire book is filled with things that can be linked to the Bible and nowhere is this more evident than in the end. In the Bible, God sacrificed his son to give human beings a chance at redemption. In Shelley’s work, Victor has to sacrifice himself in order to save his creation. It was the ultimate act between a creator and his subject and one that closes the book on the story and its relationship with the Bible. MLA Works Cited: Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein. New York. Dover Publications, Inc. – 1994

Information and Communication Technology in Higher Education Essay

Introduction: Information and communication technology (ICT) is a force that has changed many aspects of the way we live. If one was to compare such fields as medicine, tourism, travel, business, law, banking, engineering and architecture, the impact of ICT across the past two or three decades has been enormous. The way these fields operate today is vastly different from the ways they operated in the past. But when one looks at education, there seems to have been an uncanny lack of influence and far less change than other fields have experienced. A number of people have attempted to explore this lack of activity and influence (e.g. Collis, 2002). There have been a number of factors impeding the wholesale uptake of ICT in education across all sectors. These have included such factors as a lack of funding to support the purchase of the technology, a lack of training among established teaching practitioners, a lack of motivation and need among teachers to adopt ICT as teaching tools (Starr, 2001). But in recent times, factors have emerged which have strengthened and encouraged moves to adopt ICTs into classrooms and learning settings. As we move into the 21st century, these factors and many others are bringing strong forces to bear on the adoption of ICTs in education and contemporary trends suggest we will soon see large scale changes in the way education is planned and delivered as a consequence of the opportunities and affordances of ICT. This paper seeks to explore the likely changes we will see in education as ICT acts as a powerful agent to change many of the educational practices to which we have become accustomed. In particular, the paper will explore the impact both current and emerging information and communication technologies will be likely to have in coming years on what is learned, when and where learning will take place and how the learning will occur. The impact of ICT on what is learned: Conventional teaching has emphasized content. For many years course have been written around textbooks. Teachers have taught through lectures and presentations interspersed with tutorials and learning activities designed to consolidate and rehearse the content. Contemporary settings are now favoring curricula that promote competency and performance. Curricula are starting to Emphasize capabilities and to be concerned more with how the information will be used than with what the information is. A. competency and performance-based curricula: The moves to competency and performance-based curricula are well supported and encouraged by emerging instructional technologies (e.g. Stephenson, 2001). Such curricula tend to require: access to a variety of information sources; access to a variety of information forms and types; student-centered learning settings based on information access and inquiry; learning environments centered on problem-centered and inquiry-based activities; authentic settings and examples; and teachers as coaches and mentors rather than content experts. Contemporary ICTs are able to provide strong support for all these requirements and there are now many outstanding examples of world class settings for competency and performance-based curricula that make sound use of the affordances of these technologies (e.g. Oliver, 2000). For many years, teachers wishing to adopt such curricula have been limited by their resources and tools but with the proliferation and widespread availability of contemporary ICTs, many Restrictions and impediments of the past have been removed. And new technologies will continue to drive these forms of learning further. As students and teachers gain access to higher Bandwidths, more direct forms of communication and access to sharable resources, the capability To support these quality learning settings will continue to grow. B. information literacy Another way in which emerging ICTs are impacting on the content of education curricula stems from the ways in which ICTs are dominating so much of contemporary life and work. Already There has emerged a need for educational institutions to ensure that graduates are able to display Appropriate levels of information literacy, â€Å"the capacity to identify and issue and then to identify, Locate and evaluate relevant information in order to engage with it or to solve a problem arising from it† (McCausland, Wache & Berk, 1999, p.2). The drive to promote such developments Stems from general moves among institutions to ensure their graduates demonstrate not only skills and knowledge in their subject domains but also general attributes and generic skills. Traditionally generic skills have involved such capabilities as an ability to reason formally, to Solve problems, to communicate effectively, to be able to negotiate outcomes, to manage time, Project management, and collaboration and teamwork skills. The growing use of ICTs as tools of Every day life have seen the pool of generic skills expanded in recent years to include information Literacy and it is highly probable that future developments and technology applications will see This set of skills growing even more. The impact of ICT on how students learn Just as technology is influencing and supporting what is being learned in schools and universities, So too is it supporting changes to the way students are learning. Moves from content-centered Curricula to competency-based curricula are associated with moves away from teacher-centered Forms of delivery to student-centered forms. Through technology-facilitated approaches, Contemporary learning settings now encourage students to take responsibility for their own Learning .In the past students have become very comfortable to learning through transmissive Modes. Students have been trained to let others present to them the information that forms the Curriculum. The growing use of ICT as an instructional medium is changing and will likely Continue to change many of the strategies employed by both teachers and students in the learning Process. The following sections describe particular forms of learning that are gaining prominence in universities and schools worldwide. A. Student-centered learning Technology has the capacity to promote and encourage the transformation of education from a Very teacher directed enterprise to one which supports more student-centered models. Evidence of This today is manifested in: The proliferation of capability, competency and outcomes focused curricula Moves towards problem-based learning Increased use of the Web as an information source, Internet users are able to choose the Experts from whom they will learn The use of ICT in educational settings, by itself acts as a catalyst for change in this domain. ICTs By their very nature are tools that encourage and support independent learning. Students using ICTs for learning purposes become immersed in the process of learning and as more and more Students use computers as information sources and cognitive tools (e.g. Reeves & Jonassen, 1996), the influence of the technology on supporting how students learn will continue to increase. B. Supporting knowledge construction The emergence of ICTs as learning technologies has coincided with a growing awareness and recognition of alternative theories for learning. The theories of learning that hold the greatest Sway today is those based on constructivist principles (e.g. Duffy & Cunningham, 1996). These Principles posit that learning is achieved by the active construction of knowledge supported by various perspectives within meaningful contexts. The strengths of constructivism lie in its emphasis on learning as a process of personal understanding and the development of meaning in ways which are active and interpretative. In This domain learning is viewed as the construction of meaning rather than as the memorization of facts (e.g. Lebow, 1993; Jonassen & Reeves, 1996). Learning approaches using contemporary ICTs provide many opportunities for constructivist learning through their provision and support for resource-based, student centered settings and by enabling learning to be related to context and to pra ctice (e.g. Berge, 1998; Barron, 1998). As mentioned previously, any use of ICT in learning Settings can act to support various aspects of knowledge construction and as more and more Students employ ICTs in their learning processes, the more pronounced the impact of this will Become. The impact of ICT on when and where students learn In the past educational institutions have provided little choice for students in terms of the method And manner in which programs have been delivered. Students have typically been forced to Accept what has been delivered and institutions have tended to be quite staid and traditional in terms of the delivery of their programs. ICT applications provide many options and choices and Many institutions are now creating competitive edges for themselves through the choices they are offering students. A. Any place learning The concept of flexibility in the delivery place of educational programs is not new (e.g. Moore & Kersey, 1996). Educational institutions have been offering programs at a distance for many Years and there has been a vast amount of research and development associated with establishing Effective practices and procedures in off-campus teaching and learning. Use of the technology, However, has extended the scope of this activity and whereas previously off-campus delivery was An option for students who were unable to attend campuses, today, many more students are able to make this choice through technology-facilitated learning settings. The scope and extent of this Activity is demonstrated in some of the examples below. The communications capabilities of modern technologies provide opportunities for many Learners to enroll in courses offered by external institutions rather than those situated locally. These opportunities provide such advantages as extended course offerings and eclectic class Cohorts comprised of students of differing backgrounds, cultures and perspectives. ï‚ ·Ã¯â‚¬  The freedoms of choice provided by programs that can be accessed at any place are also Supporting the delivery of programs with units and courses from a variety of institutions, There are now countless ways for students completing undergraduate degrees for example, to Study units for a single degree, through a number of different institutions, an activity that Provides considerable diversity and choice for students in the programs they complete. B. Any time learning In concert with geographical flexibility, technology-facilitated educational programs also remove Many of the temporal constraints that face learners with special needs (e.g. Moore & Kearsley, 1996). Students are starting to appreciate the capability to undertake education anywhere, Anytime and any place. This flexibility has heightened the availability of just-in-time learning and provided learning opportunities for many more learners who previously were constrained by other commitments (e.g. Young, 2002). Through online technologies learning has become an activity that is no longer set within Programmed schedules and slots. Learners are free to participate in learning activities when time permits and these freedoms have greatly increased the opportunities for many students to Participate in formal programs. ï‚ ·Ã¯â‚¬  The wide varieties of technologies that support learning are able to provide asynchronous Supports for learning so that the need for real-time participation can be avoided while the Advantages of communication and collaboration with other learners are retained. Emerging Issues A number of other issues have emerged from the uptake of technology whose impacts have yet to Be fully explored. These include changes to the makeup of the teacher pool, changes to the Profile of who are the learners in our courses and paramount in all of this, changes in the costing And economics of course delivery. A. expanding the pool of teachers In the past, the role of teacher in an educational institution was a role given to only highly qualified people. With technology-facilitated learning, there are now opportunities to extend the Teaching pool beyond this specialist set to include many more people. The changing role of the Teacher has seen increased opportunities for others to participate in the process including Workplace trainers, mentors, specialists from the workplace and others. Through the affordances And capabilities of technology, today we have a much expanded pool of teachers with varying Roles able to provide support for learners in a variety of flexible settings. This trend seems set to Continue and to grow with new ICT developments and applications. And within this changed pool of teachers will come changed responsibilities and skill sets for future teaching involving high levels of ICT and the need for more facilitative than didactic teaching roles. B. expanding the pool of students In the past, education has been a privilege and an opportunity that often was unavailable to many students whose situation did not fit the mainstream. Through the flexibilities provided by technology, many students who previously were unable to participate in educational activities are now finding opportunities to do so. The pool of students is changing and will continue to change as more and more people who have a need for education and training are able to take advantage of the increased opportunities. Interesting opportunities are now being observed among, for example, school students studying university courses to overcome limitations in their school programs and workers undertaking courses from their desktops. C. The cost of education Traditional thinking has always been that technology-facilitated learning would provide economies and efficiencies that would see significant reductions in the costs associated with the delivery of educational programs. The costs would come from the ability to create courses with fixed establishment costs, for example technology-based courses, and for which there would be savings in delivery through large scale uptake. We have already seen a number of virtual universities built around technology delivery alone. The reality is that few institutions have been able to realize these aims for economy. There appear to have been many underestimated costs in such areas as course development and course delivery. The costs associated with the development of high quality technology-facilitated learning materials are quite high. It has found to be more than a matter of repackaging existing materials and large scale reengineering has been found to be necessary with large scale costs. Likewise costs associated with delivery have not been found to diminish as expected. The main reason for this has been the need to maintain a relatively stable student to staff ratio and the expectation of students that they will have access to teachers in their courses and programs. Compared to traditional forms of off-campus learning, technology-facilitated learning has proven to be quite expensive in all areas of consideration, infrastructure, course development and course delivery. We may have to brace ourselves for the advantages and affordances which will improve the quality of education in the near future to also increase components of the cost. Efforts of Indian government in this aspect Realizing the importance of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) the Ministry of Human Resource Development as per the Mission Document, ICT is the tool in education available to enhance the current enrolment rate in Higher Education, at present 15 percent to 30 percent by the end of the 11th Plan period. The Ministry also launched a web portal named â€Å"SAKSHAT† a ‘One Stop Education Portal’. The high quality e-content once developed will be uploaded on SAKSHAT in all disciplines and subjects. Several projects are in the completion stage and are expected to change the way teaching and learning is done in India. The Mission has two major components viz., (a) content generation and (b) connectivity along with provision for access devices for institutions and learners. It seeks to bR&Dge the digital divide, i.e., the gap in the skills to use computing devices for the purpose of teaching and learning among urban and rural teachers/learners in Higher Education domain and empower those, who have hitherto remained untouched by the digital revolution and have not been able to join the mainstream of the knowledge economy. It plans to focus on appropriate pedagogy for e-learning, providing facility of performing experiments through virtual laboratories, on-line testing and certification, on-line availability of teachers to guide and mentor learners, utilization of available Education Satellite (EduSAT) and Direct to Home (DTH) platforms, training and empowerment of teachers to effectively use the new method of teaching learning etc. On the one hand, the Mission would create high quality e-content for the target groups and on the other, it would simultaneously seek to extend computer infrastructure and connectivity to over 18000 colleges in the country including each of the departments of nearly 400 universities/deemed universities and institutions of national importance. The peer group assisted content development would utilize the Wikipedia type of collaborative platform under the supervision of a content advisory committee responsible for vetting the content. Interactivity and problem solving approach would be addressed through â€Å"Talk to a Teacher† segment. It is an opportunity as well as a challenge for the bright faculty members of our Universities and Institutions of Excellence to invest their intellectual capital for the knowledge empowerment of all the learners of our Country. We need to synergize our individual efforts in this direction. Summary and Conclusions This paper has sought to explore the role of ICT in education as we progress into the 21st century. In particular the paper has argued that ICTs have impacted on educational practice in education to date in quite small ways but that the impact will grow considerably in years to come and that ICT will become a strong agent for change among many educational practices. Extrapolating current activities and practices, the continued use and development of ICTs within education will have a strong impact on: What is learned; How it is learned; When and where learning takes place; Who is learning and who is teaching. To ensure that the opportunities and advantages are realized, it will be important as it is in every other walk of life to ensure that the educational research and development dollar is sustained so that education at large can learn from within and that experiences and activities in different institutions and sectors can inform and guide others without the continual need for re-invention of the wheel. Once again ICTs serve to provide the means for much of this activity to realize the potential it holds. References Collis, B. (2002). Information technologies for education and training. In Adelsberger, H., Collis, B, & Pawlowski, J. (Eds.) Handbook on Technologies for Information and Training. Berlin: Springer Verlag. Duffy, T., & Cunningham, D. (1996). Constructivism: Implications for the design and delivery of instruction, Handbook of research for educational telecommunications and technology (pp. 170-198). New York: MacMillan. Oliver, R. (2000). Creating Meaningful Contexts for Learning in Web-based Settings. Proceedings of Open Learning 2000. (pp 53-62). Brisbane: Learning Network, Queensland. Oliver, R. & Towers, S. (2000). Benchmarking ICT literacy in tertiary learning settings. In R. Sims, M. O’Reilly & S. Sawkins (Eds). Learning to choose: Choosing to learn. Proceedings of the 17th Annual ASCILITE Conference (pp 381-390). Lismore, NSW: Southern Cross University Press. Soloway, E. & Pryor, A. (1996). The next generation in human-computer interaction. Communications of the ACM, 39(4), 16-18. Starr, L. (2001). Available at http://www.education-world.com/a_tech/tech075.shtml [Accessed July 2002]. Stephenson, J., Ed. (2001). Learner-managed learning- an emerging pedagogy for online learning. Teaching and Learning Online: Pedagogies for New Technologies. London, Kogan Page. Young, J. (2002). The 24-hour professor. The Chronicle of Higher Education, 48(38), 31-33.

History of National Wildlife Federation

The National Wildlife Federation was founded in 1936 by editorial cartoonist J.N. Darling. It was founded when President D. Roosevelt convened the first North American Wildlife Conference to stimulate public interest in America's land, water and natural resources. After that the General Wildlife Federation (later changed to the National Wildlife Federation) was founded. It is the nation's largest member-supported conservation group, with over 4 million members and supporters and 46 state affiliate organizations. The NWF unites many individuals, organizations, businesses and government agencies to protect wildlife, places, and the environment that we all depend on. Through many of their field offices they educate, assist and inspire people from all over to conserve wildlife and other natural resources and protect the Earth's environment in order to achieve a peaceful and sustainable future. Sixty-three years after being founded, the NWF's primary focus remains education. They provide many book's, magazines and nature programs that provide information to children and their families to bring them closer to nature and show them how to protect it. They provide many tools for individuals to conserve as much as they can at home, on campus, and in everything that they do. They also work with America's lawmakers, political leaders, business leaders and activists about environmental problems and work with them to find effective, common sense solutions. The NWF offers environmental education programs in communities, in the outdoors, and in the classroom: The Backyard Wildlife Habitat program aids and encourages landscaping with the needs of wildlife and the health of the environment in mind. Through this the NWF has certified over 20,000 properties worldwide. NWF's Campus Ecology program helps students, faculty and administrators obtain resources, tools and consultation to facilitate the establishment of campus-based conservation projects and help develop the next generation of environmental leaders. Youth and Teen Programs offer young teens and adults a chance to study about nature, learn outdoor skills and gain environmental knowledge. Nature Link program increases public awareness and appreciation of the outdoors by providing families with weekend excursions centered on environmental conservation. Conservation Summits are the NWF's outdoor adventure and education experience group. People of all ages can immerse themselves into many destinations through field trips, classes, special presentations and daily youth programs. NWF's Animal Tracks program offers online and printed conservation education materials geared for grades K-8 to assist teachers in instructing children about the environment and how to care for it. NWF's National Wildlife Week program brings free conservation materials to more than 620,000 teachers who reach more than 20 million students. It also provides information through its magazines, television and movie productions and it's World Wide Web Homepage. Some of the specific activist projects include the following: – Fertility on the Brink: Toxic Pollution Prevention – Wetlands Threats Education Materials At this moment some of the projects that the NWF is working on include: Â · Restoring strong protections for endangered sea turtles killed in shrimp trawl nets. Â · Give citizens the power to nominate specific rivers, lakes or coastal waters as Outstanding National Resource Waters to protect special waters in their communities. Â · Sources of polluted runoff water and airborne toxins should be allowed to design and obtain approval of site specific plans that are most cost efficient for that source. Â · Toxic chemicals linked to hazardous health effects must be phased out. Â · Conduct more research on the reason why amphibian populations are experiencing gross deformations, rapid population decline and sometimes complete extinction in even the most untouched ecosystems.

The Silk Road Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Silk Road - Essay Example And it was during 200 BC that Han rulers took control of Tarim region. The Silk Road was subsequently opened under China's control and the route to the Western part of the world started working. Chinese traders used Silk Road for the trade, which resulted in establishing of the Silk Road. Subsequently other countries also started using the road for carrying out their trade related activities thus strengthening the mutual relationship. In fact the 'silk road' is not a road as such, but a long stretch of trade route taken by the trading community. The trail spread mainly across Central Asia, resulted in prosperity not only along the route but in nearby regions as well, as branches from the main route emerged out of the Silk Road towards newer destinations in the interiors of the region. During those early days, the Roman, Parthian, Kushan, and Chinese worked towards providing stability to the Silk Road. Different countries had on offer different types of merchandise for China while Chinese started off with silk and then added more items on the trade. For example India traded with China in gems & jewelry, semiprecious stones, and glass which are the forte of India for many centuries. Buddhism also spread to from India to China through the silk route. The famous Chinese philosopher Fa-hsien, was one of first known Chinese travelers who took Silk Road for traveling towards India around 300 AD. Marco Polo, the famous traveler took 24 years while traveling through Asia. He also chose the Silk Road for his adventurous journey. His travels ignited the urge for industrialization in the Asian subcontinent. Today we can very well boast of the ICT era led technological boom in the industrial world, but historians credit Marco Polo's travelogue for bringing about the technological changes. In fact silk route led industrialization in this part of the world proved to be a turning point for the technological advancements. Marco Polo with his entourage did lot of purchasing from one region and sold it in another region along the silk route, which strengthened the trade practices along the Silk Road. The products sold by him were appreciated by the people, because till then people did not have much idea about the products being made by neighboring countries and regions. Though Osterhammel and Petersson identify the period from 1750 to 1880 as an era which gave rise to the phenomenon of free trade development and as an important step towards globalisation but Marco Polo's trade along the silk route, during the first half of 14th century could very well be termed as the beginning of globalisatio n. Trade along the Silk Road prospered during the times when China was ruled by a succession of non-Chinese dynasties belonging to different ethnic groups, as these groups depended to a great extent on outsiders for trade. Trade activities along the Silk Road suffered a decline owing to change in political equations in China and neighboring India. When power passed on to the Song dynasty, it proved to be weak in retaining control over strategically important central and northern part of China, which resulted in loss of control over Central Asian trade, thus diminishing the role of Silk Road. Subsequently Chinese rulers started paying more attention towards the sea route for carrying out trade. Subsequently when Mongols came to power during the late thirteenth and early fourteenth century, the Silk Road was once again revived for trade.

If a tree falls Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

If a tree falls - Essay Example From his portrayal of McGowan, the producer seems sympathetic of the plight of this radical activist and the ELF as a whole, albeit from a neutral perspective. The producer has used McGowan’s case to represent plight of the ELF and has also examined the origin of radical environmentalism and has highlighted the destruction that was brought by the Earth Liberation Front in the 1990’s. He has also discussed the issue of terrorism as explained by the government, and in the process he has presented a character, McGowan who does not meet the criteria of being a terrorist in the post 9/11 era. The documentary aims to establish whether crimes directed towards property, and no person is injured constitute terrorism. Through the documentary, we learn that the ELF, which is a conglomeration of radical environmental organizations/groups, opted for civil disobedience and annihilation of environmental abuse symbols when it was unable to accomplish its objectives (Miller & Vandone 67). Therefore the producer of the documentary seeks to establish whether these heinous acts, in the name of radical environmentalism, were terrorist acts. As th e documentary progresses, we feel that Curry is sympathetic about the manner in which radical environmentalists are regarded as terrorists. He gives one example in Oregon when protesters were dispersed by police by tear gas canisters. From this, the audience pities these radical environmentalists who were manhandled by police officers. Therefore, it would seem that the producer used this scenario to depict his sympathy towards radical environmentalists like McGowan. The producer has used McGowan effectively to post the questions that he had in mind. Through McGowan, we sympathize with a former member of the ELF who has been sentenced to life imprisonment due to charges of ‘terrorism’’. McGowan had already

Thematic critical alaysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Thematic critical alaysis - Essay Example Isolation may be of two forms: deliberate or forced. Deliberate, in the sense that the individual chose to isolate himself from the world for a time, perhaps to evaluate his actions and others' reactions towards them and identify the time his views were questioned. At this point, he might think that he is in the position to judge others or occurrences as either appropriate or otherwise. He becomes the point of reference--he sets standards, which might be way beyond what is generally acceptable. During isolation, he may re-construct reality and the pieces that have been altered may find its way back to its recent condition. He might even check his motives and see whether he should accept others' belief system. This is the time that he goes back from where nature dictates him to be: looking up and not looking down. Forced isolation, on the other hand, occurs when the individual cannot control himself anymore and his construction of reality goes against every dictates of society; even to the point of questioning God for the supposed ambiguity in his perspectives. In the process, he would create a make believe world where the concept of "right" and "wrong" is based on what he believes is "right" and "wrong." Hence, he is considered by society in the verge of insanity. Eventually, he is sent to a mental institution and stays there until considered by medical practitioners mentally fit. Such has been the case of Esther Greenwood, the protagonist in Sylvia Plath's The Bell Jar. The story chronicles Esther's descent to madness and her struggle to escape from it. "From the first page of The Bell Jar, with Esther Greenwood describing a day in New York City during the summer of 1952, when she is a guest-editor of Mademoiselle magazine, Sylvia Plath vividly re-creates the perspective of a depressed, highly intelligent, sensitive young woman who feels herself losing contact with reality (Shields, 1995)." Quite contradictory to her present situation: a person who could be considered has reached mastery of her craft (since she is now occupying the editor's post and not just an ordinary freelance writer) are the accompanying images - "depressedsensitive," hence creating a character who is feels lacking in every sense that she feels she has lost contact with reality. What has caused her mental instability Perhaps her hostility toward men and the double standards set by society on men and women. Esther's outer personality and her inner identity are in constant conflict throughout the novel. She assesses her past life, especially the value of studying for academic awards, her present desire for personal fulfillment as a woman, and her need to choose a professional career for the future that will both support her financially and fulfill her aesthetically. Her inability to find solutions that will include all of these needs drives her into a reclusive mental state. At this point, it is important to note that "the novel emerges from a specific context: it was written by an American living in London during a period of heated political debate about the future of Americanness, about a period in the U.S. ten years earlier" (Baldwin, 2004). It is the time when the idea of female containment is overly used. "Containment" is the term coined by George Kennan in 1947 in "The Sources of Soviet Conduct" to

Commentary on quotations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Commentary on quotations - Essay Example the rights to equality to black citizens but in modern day America, there are other problems created by the inability that still exists to resolve racial tensions and build more empathy and understanding between races. The quotations from famous works below explore some aspects of freedom and independence for all races. In this extract from a latter, John Winthrop is actually speaking of the privations endured on a ship and the relief that they were able to receive. But in these words that speak of Heaven, a Heaven that can be attained although it is necessary to pass through Hell to get to it, there is an underlying symbolism that indicates happiness and godly ends can only be achieved after much struggle and suffering. The heaven that is described in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States, which aims to bring equality and liberty to every individual, can only be achieved after much upheaval and turmoil. This is especially notable in the civil rights movement and the long struggle endured by the slaves in achieving their freedom; they have literally passed through Hell and fought for the equality promised in the Constitution, so that successive generations would not have to endure the privations they did. These poignant words, drawn from the American National hymn, express the spirit of the unity and equality that the nation’s forefathers desired when they framed the Declaration of Independence. These lines clearly state the ownership of American soil is not restricted to any particular race or class, it belongs to every American, irrespective of age, sex or race. The practice of segregation which was practiced in America would therefore rise in contravention to the spirit of equal ownership of land, because it declared certain territories off bounds for slaves. Any practice that seeks to isolate members of particular group within a particular geographical terrain and refuse to let them be free would also rise in

Neuropsychology paper on Split Brain Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Neuropsychology on Split Brain - Research Paper Example The brain is also very segmented in that specific parts of the brain are responsible for different tasks in ability and processing. Even though all of these different parts of the brain operate differently in processing and storage of a particular stimulus, they still communicate with one another in effort to process and integrate sensations more efficiently and more fully. One of the biggest divisions in the brain’s structure is the right and left hemisphere. Each is responsible for its own processing of data and they have to communicate with each other in order to understand the whole picture. As a result of this, a great deal of research has been devoted into split-brain studies in trying to figure out how the two hemispheres work in tandem as well as how they work separately. Like the Earth, the brain is divided into two hemispheres: the right and left hemispheres. They are as much independent as they are intertwined. Researchers and psychologist hypothesize that the divis ion of the two hemispheres makes them more like two minds rather than one. Research has shown that the left hemisphere is more dominant and responsible for processes involving language whereas the right hemisphere is designed to process spatial relationships. This has been proven through experimentation as well as natural medical phenomenon. When a person has a stroke and it impacts an area of the brain, it is observed that functioning that is associated with that area decreases. The way in which we process the environment and information is when these two hemispheres are in sync and are communicating with one another. For example, the left side of the brain controls the right side of the body and the ride side of the brain controls the left side of the body. This is achieved by a connection known as the corpus callosum. The corpus callosum is a thick band of neural fibers, which essentially anchor both hemispheres together in order to facilitate communication. If this connection we re to be severed, then the way in which the hemispheres could communicate would be separated, thus creating two different minds within one. This is never done for research, although it has been used in epileptic patients in order to cure seizures. Research was conducted (not through severing the corpus callosum) on the dual processing of the two hemispheres and designing tests in which the effects of separating the corpus callosum could be simulated and the behavior observed. This involved a combination of visual recognition tasks as well as tactile response tasks. In the visual tasks, their vision was altered in some way in which the disruption of communication occurred to where only one side of the brain was processing, while the other was missing the sensory input. In tactile response experiments, participants were asked to identify objects. Depending on which hand it was placed in had an effect on whether they could verbalize the recognition of the object. The research was able to conclude that there were remarkable differences in the way the two minds operate independently of each other. In fact, it is shown from some research that by having a set of brains versus one unified one leads to increased ability to dual process and complete tasks (Gazzaniga, 1967). Since the first studies and research that were conducted into split brain research

Medicinal and Recreation Marijuana Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Medicinal and Recreation Marijuana - Essay Example Texas is one of those states of United States that considers use of marijuana as highly negative for the society. Due to this, Texas has implemented quite stringent laws in order to restrict the use, sale and purchase of marijuana in the region of Texas. In the state of Texas, severe penalties are levied on those who possess even a small quantity of marijuana. As per the laws of Texas, possessing a quantity of marijuana that is even less than 2 ounces can result in imprisonment for a period of 6 months or less and a fine of $2000 has to be paid by those who possess it (Findlaw, 2015). In case of possession of more than two ounces or even owning substances such as hash oil is considered as a severe criminal act. Those who possess such substances are imprisoned for a period of more than 2 years. Texas believes in the rehabilitation of those who are conducting marijuana related offences for the first time. Therefore, it does not imprison first time abusers and requires them to attend re habilitation programs to be treated. Other than possession, the sale of marijuana or cannabis is even treated quite severely. An individual who is caught selling only 25% of an ounce of marijuana in the state of Texas is regarded as a criminal and is imprisoned for half a year along with a penalty of $2000 (Findlaw, 2015). In case an individual or a group is involved in the sale of over 50 pounds of marijuana is considered as a major criminal and can be sentenced for a period of more than 99 years. Texas even does not allow the sale of the drug to those who are considered as minor by the state of Texas and may imprison them for a period of 20 or more years (Findlaw, 2015). In the state of Texas, marijuana is considered less beneficial for the health of the consumers and therefore the physicians are disallowed to prescribe these drugs for

Theories Concerning Human Development Assignment

Theories Concerning Human Development - Assignment Example Jim today suffers from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder which is mainly caused due to the extreme level of anxiety or exposure to serious psychological trauma. As diagnosed, this could be the possible consequence of his mental and physical reaction to the World Trade Centre massacre in 2001. Contextually, his age might have been an influencing factor as through the normative stage models it is apparently discussed that young adults tend to decipher more active response towards any kind of trauma being steered with their quench for unique identification in their workplace. Young adults are also observed to possess the high degree of moral values which might have influenced Jim’s response to the disaster when he was 25 years old. His PTSD syndrome may affect his capability to deal with stress in his future career which shall further limit his job opportunities. He might also develop anxiety and frustration in his married life which will again disrupt his physical as well as mental health making him stressed and emotionally weaker. These forces shall thus increase emotional vulnerability within Jim making him less confident in his relationship. He might also seek the less stressful job and be reluctant in accepting diversity easily as compared to other people. He might have to face severe constraints when performing in working areas such as schools where stress level and diversity are perceived to be quite high. Regular interaction with young children might be helpful for him to reduce his psychological vulnerability.

Innovative Idea for a New Product, namely the Round Umbrellas Essay

Innovative Idea for a New Product, namely the Round Umbrellas - Essay Example For this reason, I chose to come up with a new product on umbrellas that are consumer friendly both in price and in its use. The umbrellas will help minimize the issue of umbrellas being prone to damages both during storms and also in high winds. The umbrellas will be aerodynamic wind-resistant designed that will ensure that the umbrella will not overturn during heavy winds. The umbrella will also be extra reinforced rib constructed to ensure that they are firm enough to withstand storms and wind. The umbrellas will be designed in different sizes; big to serve many people in a place, relatively small for few individual and also for one person. The umbrellas are designed such that one will not be wet on trousers and even hands, unlike the other umbrellas. The umbrella will use less expensive materials like anodized aluminum, its configuration is manual and has 5 -6 ribs that make it's cheaper but still strong to withstand storms. For this business, the business structure that best suits it is partnership structure. A partnership involves two or more agree to start a business and run it jointly. The partnership will work well for this innovation since it has few formalities needed, and there is a partnership deed that regulates the operations of the business. With the partnership, there is shared management control and task sharing that reduces the workload for one person. The partners may also take part in their areas of specialization where they are best skilled ensuring that the business runs so well. Partnership venture also limits the chances of one bearing the losses that one may incur alone since they are shared among the partners hence; it makes it attractive to many businesses. Having the issue of loss sharing every partner will work keenly to reduce possible chances of incurring losses in the market, and so the business runs efficiently to gain profits. To establish a venture,  it all begins with d eveloping some ideas. In this stage, researchers are more involved.  

Computerised Accounting System Essay Example for Free

Computerised Accounting System Essay At very outset I sincerely thankful to you for promoting me in the cadre of A. O. ( Mkt) would like to draw your kind attention to my various earlier requests for restoration of my three increments as per the order dated 25th January 2005, passed by then CMD (copy enclosed ) by modifying the earlier order the following. 1 Restoring the basic pay to the same level as the order was to be without cumulative effect; as has been very categorically specified in the order. However, notwithstanding the above, the first part of the enclosed order was implemented long back in the year 2005, but even after so many years the 2nd part of the order is not implemented by your office till today my basic salary has not so far been restored. It is respectfully submitted that non restoration of my basic pay as mandated by the order under reference would be in derogation of the order passed by the erstwhile CMD. my salary in the promoted cadre cannot be fixed unless my 3 increments are restored only after restoration of these 3 increments my salary can be fixed In promoted (A. O. ) cadre . I therefore request your kind self to immediate restore my three increments ( by which my basic pay has been already been reduced )w. e. f. year 2005. so that there is no delay in fixing my salary in promoted cadre. I shall be extremely grateful to you for the act of kindness.

Impairment is a physical fact, but disability is a social construction

Impairment is a physical fact, but disability is a social construction Intro This essay will discuss disability as a socially constructed concept, as viewed from a historical viewpoint the first as a physical fact and the second as socially constructed condition. The manner by which this will done is to investigate disability from an historical viewpoint and the socially constructed viewpoint, this will concluded in an evaluation. Oliver (1996) defines impairment as lacking part of or all of a limb, or having a defective limb, organ or mechanism of the body. And disability as the disadvantage of activity (Oliver 1996:22). Barnes (1991) suggests that disability is a recently modern term used to describe a system in which society discriminates by enforcing social restrictions on people with impairments. It would be almost impossible to go back in time and identify when exactly society began to discriminate against people with impairments. Although it has been suggested that societys view of impairment and disability came about as a result of peoples psychological fear of the unknown. As the perception of what is normal is transmitted by accepted values and beliefs through learning and culture from other people in society. (Douglas, 1966) Historians have found evidence from ancient times that suggests different societies generated their own ideological thoughts through out history, about people who suffered impairment. In Israel a 46,000 year old skeleton of a man was found, which showed he was born with an impairment that would have required the support from his society through out his life. This individual had severe impairment and yet his survival was the result of respect from his society (Rudgley, 2000) however not all societies had the same ideological responses to impairment. An excavated burial site (c.100, 000BC) in Turkey demonstrated how an individual with a hunched back was dumped on a rubbish tip, instead of being buried the traditional way as society viewed him as an outcast. (Rudgley, 2000) giving an early example of someone with a physical impairment being isolated from society. It was during the industrialization of 19th century that an extreme policy of exclusion was envisioned by segregating people with impairments from society by placing them in institutions. The term institution is used to describe a number of social organisations that range from hospitals, asylums, workhouses and prisons that use organized long term provision in a residential setting with the emphasis being on care treatment or custody (Jones and Fowles, 1984) Institutions were first established to deal with the problem of mental defectives these were people with learning disabilities and mental illness. As previously Individuals who had severe impairments were taken into small medieval hospitals where the sick or bedridden were kept. The philosophy of these hospitals was religious based, seeking to care than to cure. (Skull, 1984) However this philosophy changed as the institutions were built with the belief that people with learning disabilities could be educated and trained and then let back in to society once rehabilitated. (Race,1995) As prior to industrialisation people with learning disabilities had managed to cope in society by doing simple manual work, as literacy and numeracy were only prerequisites of the higher classes. Until industrialization brought a faster work pace and created a new bourgeoisie based on a persons position in society and their individual attributes, (Hobsbawm 1962) resulting in the social exclusion of people with learning disabilities. (Skull 1979) Therefore capitalism was a way of controlling and giving discipline to individuals who could not obey the rules of new working practices. Therefore to enforce greater control there was a increase in institutions and asylums (Skull, 1979) there was an increasing fear that people with learning disabilities were contributing to the degeneration of society, therefore the regimes within the institutions were in place to contain people than reform them. The reason for people with learning disabilities being segregated from people in society was through the negative image given by labelling that resulted in stigmatisation. As in the first half of the century people classed as learning disabled were labelled idiot (very severe) imbecile (severe) feebleminded (less severe) other derogatory labels used were moron and moral defective. Even at the present time people with learning disabilities are still being stigmatised through labelling, that resulted from the past. As the term mental handicap to classify people with learning disabilities gives the illusion of mental illness, and the term handicap gives an image of a person with a cap in their hand begging and depending on the charity of others. The terms idiot and imbecile are labels still used to describe people in language used today. Indeed it was not the view that people with learning disabilities were a financial burden to society that was seen as a threat, but the way that they b red and spread the ills of society that caused concern for people. As it was believed that people who referred to as feebleminded were the cause of many problems in society such as prostitution, alcoholism and crime. It was this negative image of labelling learning disabilities that would lead the way for the science of eugenics. (Borsay, 2005) It is Francis Galton (1883) who is recognized as being the founding father of eugenics, which was defined as a science of improving inborn human qualities through selective breeding. (Galton, 1883) this meant only the most desirable people in society were allowed to procreate. This idea was to prove popular with social thinkers and politicians of the time and attracted approval from many people in society. Policies were made as a result and one such policy was that sterilizing or segregating people with learning difficulties was much lower than, the higher cost that society would accrue in supporting generations of defectives in the future. (Larson,1995) showing how easy it was for social policy makers to be persuaded into making policies based on welfare costs with little regard on how it would effect people with learning disabilities . (Porter 2000) Even the nazi doctors under Hitlers command committed genocide by measuring disabled peoples lives in term of economic importance. (Burleigh 1994) Medical professionals took part in the operation of the Nazi eugenic programmes (Lifton, 1986) that lead to people with impairments being sterilized against their wishes and resulted in the death of 2000,000 to 275,000 the majority of which had learning disabilities. (burleig 1994) Pfeifler (2000) argues that even at present, the classifications of the medical model in disability still occupy the eugenic agenda (Priestly) As ground breaking advances in science and medicine gave medical professions the power to dictate in the lives of people with impairments. With Genetic screening being seen as favorable in choice and cost effective, as the cost of genetic screening and abortion is cheaper to perform than the long term cost of supporting people with defective impairments. (Vintzileos et al, 1998) The medical model has been highly influential on setting the parameters for how people with impairments were treated by society. As Chernovsky (1997) states that research carried out into intelligence was one way in which psychologists helped maintain the status quo in society, by creating social inequality. This can be seen in the intelligence tests that were used to decide whether an individual was incapable of living in society. These tests made little attempt at assessing an individuals capabilities, by getting the individual to distinguish the difference between a fly and butterfly or how many feathers were on a chicken or how many miles it was to America (National Council for Civil Liberties, 1951; Potts and Fido, 1991) this test made sure that the doctor could certify the individual as being incapable and institutionalise them for not being able to answer. In the second half of the century a transformation came about that changed how society viewed a person with learning disabilities. During the 1950s the effects of war and polio epidemics highlighted the inequalities faced by people with disabilities, this led to the development and campaigning of human and rights movements as well as policies to combat these inequalities, including the European Convention of Human Rights 1950. Sociological studies were carried out and gave evidence to show that people with learning disabilities who had been lock away in institutions away from society, did have intellectual and social capabilities necessary to live in the community and that institution life was blocking this ability. (Race,1995) Tizard and OConnor (1952) discovered from their research that people with learning disabilities living in institutions who had been previously labelled as being unemployable did have the essential skills required to complete a job in a work environment. Clarke and Clarke (1959) found evidence that the environment had an effect on a persons performance, and the poor conditions inside institutions had a bad effect on the people living within them. Goffman coined the term total institutions to describe where people are cut off from the offside world and from family and friends. Procedures involve calling people inmates and humiliating them by removing their personal identity and by using a system of punishments and rewards. As well showing that people behave in accordance to label assigned to them, if people are labelled deviant, they will become deviant, and this in turn reinforces the beliefs up held by society about people with learning disabilities. The studies showed the damaging effects that institutions had on the development of the individual and in the 1960s a number of academic reports were published that detailed findings of research carried out into the conditions of institutions. The most renowned of these was the Report of the Committee of Enquiry into Ely Hospital (Howe Report, 1969). The report described the impoverished and neglected living conditions, as well as lack of privacy that people with learning disabilities suffered from under the custodial regime carried out by staff. Due to public opinion the above reports resulted in a change in the law, the new Mental Health Act (1959) changed the certified term mental deficiency to mental subnormality this meant that most people with learning disabilities who were not being detained for a legitimate reason were free to leave and could return to the community. (Clarke 1983) The introduction of White Paper Better Services for the Mentally Handicapped in 1971 led to a 50% reduction in hospital places by 1991 and led to the provision of local authority-based residential and day care. It also called for an end to custodial methods of care in hospitals and recommended the re-training of hospital staff. In 1979, The Jay Report re-emphasised the need for local authority-led care and, importantly, a service philosophy based on the principles of normalisation. In the 1980s, this was redefined as social role valorisation to include reference to strategies used in the creation, support and defence of valued social roles for people at risk of devaluation (Wolfensberger, 1998). In the UK, the principles of normalisation adopted were those interpreted by OBrien and Tyne (1981) as the five service accomplishments. These have become the developmental goals which organisations then and now strive towards A new philosophy was constructed that emphasised care in the community this change resulted in the closure of all the old asylums. Community care was designed to bring about positive changes, these were governmental values aimed at allowing people with learning disabilities to live on their own, in their neighbourhood with services to support them. The government hoped to develop community based services made up of day centres, supported accommodation, support workers, training and employment, these services were to help people with learning disabilities be included into society. The development of care in the community was result of reforms introduced by the Conservative government

Hydrated Copper Sulfate Formula

Hydrated Copper Sulfate Formula Aim The aim of the experiment was to determine the empirical formula of hydrated copper (II) sulphate(CuSO4Â · xH2O)by experiment and to investigate the changes of copper (II) ions in solution. Introduction Copper is a d-block Transition metals, which are elements in Group 3-12 of the Periodic Table. It has the electronic structure 1s22s22p63s23p63d104s1, and can form complex formation (Chemguide, 2003). Complex ions are compounds having a central atom surrounded by other molecules called ligands, and these ligands can form dative covalent bonds to the central particle (Lister and Renshaw 2000). Lister and Renshaw (2000) further state that good ligands can displace poorer ligands from complexes, and the log of stability constants (logKc) can be used to measure the stability of complexes. The larger logKc, the more stable the complex (Lister and Renshaw, 2000). Most complexes are coloured since the movement of electrons between d orbitals will absorb a quanta of electromagnetic energy and the resulting energy gap is corresponding to frequencies of electromagnetic radiation in the visible region of the spectrum (Lister and Renshaw, 2000). Copper (II) sulphate has a considerable number of compounds, which have different degrees of hydration. Fishing (2009) points out that pentahydrate (CuSO4Â · 5H2O) is bright blue due to the water of hydration and when heated, the blue copper sulphate can be dehydrated to a grey-white power called anhydrous salt. The structure can be seen in Figure 1. Two water molecules will be lost at 30? when heated, and two more are then lost at 110?, followed by the last one at 250? (Fishing, 2009). As stated by Chemguide (2003), the typical blue hexaaquacopper (II) ion- [Cu(H2O)6]2+ is the simplest form in solution. Forming stronger bonds than water molecules with the center particle (Cu2+), chloride ions can displace water molecules and form a yellow-green [CuCl4]2- (aq) whose value of logKc is 5.6 (Lister and Renshaw, 2000). Figure 2 shows the structure of the [CuCl4]2-. The reaction of hexaaquacopper (II) ions with chloride ions can be shown as: [Cu (H2O)6]2+(aq) + 4Cl-(aq) [CuCl4]2-(aq) + 6H2O(l) (Chemguide, 2003) When copper (II) sulphate solution reacts with ammonia, it has two separate stages. Chemguide (2003) suggests that in the first stage, a small amount of ammonia can lead to hydrogen ions being removed from the hexaaqua ion. As a result, a neutral complex is produced, which is a precipitate with a pale blue colour (Chemguide, 2003). The equation for this reaction can be written as: [Cu(H2O)6]2+(aq) + 2NH3(aq) ?[Cu(H2O)4(OH)2](aq) + 2NH4+(aq) (Chemguide, 2003) Chemguide (2003) further reports that when adding excess ammonia solution, the ammonia will replace four of the six water molecules from [Cu(H2O)6]2+, forming a deep blue [Cu(NH3)4(H2O)2]2+(aq). Its value of logKc is 13.2 (Lister and Renshaw, 2000). The reaction can be shown as: [Cu(H2O)6]2+(aq) + 4NH3(aq)?[Cu(NH3)4(H2O)2]2+(aq) + 4H2O(l) (Chemguide, 2003) Method The apparatus consisted of crucible, spatula, burner and tongs, electronic balance, desiccator and stand, as well as three conical flasks, and the chemicals included copper sulphate, concentrated hydrochloric acid and ammonia solution. The method of this experiment was divided into two parts. According to Lane (2009.a), the practical for determining the formula in part 1 was done as following steps, and all figures gained were corrected to two decimal places. To start with, the inside of the crucible was cleaned with a cloth. Subsequently, a paper clip was placed in the crucible. The crucible was then weighed and the weight was recorded. After that, using the electronic balance, 2.58g copper sulphate was added into the crucible. Before placing the crucible on the stand and heating, the burner was lit and placed under the stand. Using the paper clip, the crystals were stirred when heating. The change in colour was then noted. After that, using the tongs, the crucible was placed inside the desiccator to cool down. When cool down to room temperature, the crucible was reweighed and the procedures heating, cooling, and weighing were repeated until constant weight was recorded. Some water was added to the crucible at the end and the result was noted. In part 2, the steps making complex ions in solution can be shown below (Lane, 2009.b). At the beginning, some copper sulphate and water were put into three conical flasks and these flasks were shaken and observed. After that, using a pipette, concentrated hydrochloric acid was dropped into one flask. Any phenomena were noted. Before observing, a small amount of ammonia solution was then added into the second flask. At the end, excessive ammonia solution was put into the third flask and the result was recorded. Discussion: In part 1, using the data from Table 1 and the formula n = m/Mr, where n = moles, m = Mass of sample and Mr = relative Molecular Mass (Lane, 2009.b), the steps in the calculation of the formula (CuSO4Â · x H2O) can be shown as follows. Mr (CuSO4) =159.6 m (CuSO4) =1.64g n (CuSO4) = m/Mr =1.64/159.6 = 0.010289 moles Mr (H2O) = 18 m (H2O) = 0.94g n (x H2O) = m/Mr = 0.94/18 = 0.052222 moles The ratio can be determined: CuSO4: x H2O = n (CuSO4): n (x H2O) Therefore: 1 : x = 0.010289 : 0.052222 x = 5.0755 The value x = 5.0755 can be approximate to x = 5; therefore, the empirical formula is CuSO4Â · 5H2O. As stated by theory, when heating the crystals, the water will evaporate depending on the temperature. Repeating heating and stirring the crystals can ensure the hydrated CuSO4 is dehydrated completely. The positive result of x = 5 indicates that the heater can reach 250? at least in the experiment, which provides the power to drive off all water molecules from the crystal. Copper (II) oxide (CuO) and sulfur trioxide (SO3) will be produced when heating the crystal at around 600? (Fishing, 2009). It can be deduced that when over heating, the black CuO (s) and the pungent smell SO3 (g) would be observed. The colour changing grey-white to blue when adding water into anhydrous copper sulphate can explain why the crucible needs to cool down inside the desiccator. It is to avoid the anhydrous copper sulphate absorbing H2O from the air and reforming hydrated CuSO4. This is also why anhydrous CuSO4 can be widely used for testing the presence of water in other chemical experiments. The green colour in part 2 could be explained in terms of a mixture of colours from [Cu(H2O)6]2+ (blue) and [CuCl4]2- (yellow-green). It can be deduced that if adding enough water into the green solution, the green solution would turn back to blue, because a high concentration of H2O would lead to the reversible reaction tending to produce more [Cu(H2O)6]2+. The results about copper (II) ions reacting with NH3 (aq) mean that the blue precipitate (Cu(OH)2) can dissolve when adding excessive of ammonia. All reactions tend to high stability, low energy. As mentioned by theory, the logKc value of [Cu(NH3)4 (H2O)2]2+ (aq) (13.2) is larger than [CuCl4]2-(aq) (5.6), which means that the complex [Cu(NH3)4 (H2O)2]2+ is more stable than [CuCl4]2-, and NH3 is a better ligant than Cl-. Therefore, the reaction NH3 replacing Cl- from [CuCl4]2-(aq) can be deduced. Compared with the empirical formula CuSO4Â · 5H2O, the calculated answer is slightly high, although it can be estimated to x = 5. There are three main reasons can explain the result. The crucible may not be completely dry, and extra water evaporated will give a higher value. In addition, when over heating, the mass of gases would be regarded as the loss mass of water. Finally, some crystals would splash out when stirring, which can lead to the calculated value higher. In order to produce more accurate result, several areas could be improved. Controlling the flame intensity of burner, putting an asbestos net under the crucible or granulating the crystal can reduce the possibility of decomposition and ensure the crystal is dehydrated completely. Conclusion In conclusion, the empirical formula of hydrated copper sulphate can be determined as CuSO4Â · 5H2O by experiment. Water molecules can make the copper complex ion blue. Ammonia (NH3) causes deep blue colour, and chloride ions (Cl-) make the copper complex solution yellow-green. Therefore, the nature of ligands can affect the energies of the d orbitals and produce complexes with different colours. References Chemguide (2003) [online] Copper Available at: http://www.chemguide.co.uk/inorganic/transition/copper.html [Access at: December 20, 2009] Fishing (2009) [online] Copper Sulfate, Equation for Decomposition Available at: http://www.finishing.com/116/07.shtml [Access at: December 22, 2009] Kecheng (nd) [online] Indentify the Formula of Hydrated Copper Sulphate Available at: http://kecheng.edu.people.com.cn/index/newscontent/snsy/czhx/syzl6_2_4_2.htm [Access at: December 28, 2009] Lane, R (2009.a) Chemistry Practical Handout Lane, R (2009.b) IFY Course Notes Lister, T. and Renshaw, J. (2000). Chemistry for Advanced Level (third edition). Cheltenham: Nelson Thornes Ltd.

Functionalist View on Same-Sex Families Essay -- Papers

Functionalist View on Same-Sex Families What is Functionalism? Functionalism is the belief that members of society form relationships with each other through rules and regulations i.e. the law. They also believe society is based on a consensus and there is no time for conflict, although it is acknowledged but is seen as only a temporary disturbance, which can be resolved. They believe it is the basis of social life without it there would be conflict and disorder. Society is seen like the human body, institutions within society playing a significant role to ensure its upkeep like schools. These institutions are what influence societies members on social behaviour. They see the family as how it functions and contributes towards society as a whole. They believe the function of a family is to educate and prepare children before they become adult workers. What is the New Right? The New Right believes the family is the cornerstone of society. They see the ideal family is that of the nuclear unit, a heterosexual relationship based on love and commitment with the reproduction of children. They believe the cause of decline in the nuclear family is due to the change in society, which is threatening the norms of marriage. They believe it shall all be resolved with the return of the traditional family norms. How is society structured from a traditionalist or functionalist point of view? As I said earlier functionalists believe rules and regulations guide society, they believe it forms the basis of consensus. They see society structured like the human body; every part has an important role to play and a significant contribut... ...rica 50% of young Americans think gay people shouldn't have the same rights as everyone else, but they also said they didn't know enough to form a sound opinion. Most Americans said they think gay teachers should be fired, not only is that unfair dismissal, and discrimination. But what is it teaching the children? Functionalists say the main function of a family is to help educate children in social behaviour required by society. If they believe society is based on consensus then why are they encouraging conflict? Bibliography www.cs.cmu.edu/afs/cs.cmu.edu/user/scotts/domestic-partners/family.html www.familydiscussions.com/books/gillis.htm www.puclicagenda.org Family, Functionalism, and New Right Donnellan C, Sexuality Volume 23 Silva, E The New Family SAGE Publications Sociology Text Book

Educating Rita :: English Literature

Educating Rita. In the play Educating Rita by Willy Russell we are lead to believe that in the first few scenes Rita and Frank have nothing in common. We assume this on a few small things like the way Rita talks. She is a very out going character who talks like a commoner." you'd better get that bleadin' handle fixed. She hair dresses in a shop and is not happy with the position she is in. She does not have much interest in hair dressing and it does not feel that it is good enough for her. She could do much better. Frank on the other hand is a lecturer at the Open University. He has a bad alcohol problem and only works there to get money for the booze. From what we gather he is not a very good lecturer and is not really all that interested in the job, just the money. He talks not in a posh accent but a smart middle class. Rita perceives her job as a working class hairdresser to be a job that only the lowest of the lowest would do. It is an unsatisfactory job that does not for fill her dream of being a middle class woman. She has the potential to go for what it is that she wants and luckily she knows you to motivate her self to do so. Neither frank nor Rita is really interested in there jobs. They both just do it for the money. This is when we learn that they do have something and common they share the same out looks of there jobs. At the beginning of the play we hear frank talking-to his girlfriend Julia on the phone. She is complaining that he will not be home in time for diner and he is complaining that he wants to go down the pub. This is when we realise that frank is in an unstable relationship with his girlfriend. Due to Rita's nosey personality we find out that Frank was one married but has split up from his wife. When Rita asks why he comments it was "because of literature". When really it was because of his drinking problem, if he is not careful the same thing will happen to him again. Rita finds out that frank use to write poetry and this is why him and his wife split up (or so frank says) Rita then realises that she and frank have another thing in common they both have rocky relationships. Unfortunately Rita's husband Denny has other ideas about what Rita should do with her life.

A Comparison and Contrast of Ideas of Beauty

It has often been said that â€Å"beauty is in the eye of the beholder.† This may well be true, but many people, particularly women, have trouble seeing their own beauty, especially when they do not look just like everyone else.The three short stories that were assigned, â€Å"Beauty: When The Other Dancer Is The Self,† by Alice Walker, â€Å"Mirrors,† by Lucy Grealy, and â€Å"The Story of My Body,† by Judith Ortiz Cofer, all share the same premise. In each story, each young woman is faced with trials due to the way they look. The way that they choose to deal with these trials, however, is different for each one.â€Å"Beauty: When The Other Dancer Is The Self† is the story of Alice Walker’s life as a child. She thrived on being considered cute and â€Å"sassy.† At one point in the story, she even mentions that she was fond of staring at people, just so they would notice her and how beautiful she was. Unfortunately, all that changed wh en she was accidently shot in the eye with a BB pellet.She lost sight in that eye, and the eye formed a large white cataract that people would stare at and comment on. Walker refused to look anyone in the eye for years. She became extremely uncomfortable with the idea that she was no longer beautiful in the traditional sense, and her social and scholastic abilities suffered for it. When she was older, she had the chance to have the cataract removed, and nothing but a blue scar remained.This did wonders for her confidence, until she had a child of her own. She worried about what the child might think of her blind eye, but a television show featuring a blue globe gave the child the idea that her mother had a world in her eye. To the child, this was a wonderful thing. Walker, gaining acceptance from her child, was able to finally accept herself.â€Å"Mirrors,† by Lucy Grealy, is the story of the author’s battle with cancer of the jaw and the disfiguration it caused. Greal y was young when she had to have part of her jaw removed, so along with the normal trials of growing up, she was forced to deal with the pain of chemotherapy and the stares and taunts of insensitive children and adults.When the reconstruction of her face failed time after time, she gave up looking into mirrors. In fact, she avoided any shiny surface. She stayed in the library most of the time, reading books about the Holocaust and other dreadful times in history to make her pain seem less significant. When she finally had a chance to have work done on her face overseas, she jumped at the chance.She seemed to think that having a â€Å"perfect† face would solve all of her problems. Instead, the surgeries caused new problems. She had to have work done on the healthy side of her face to make a match, and she ended up looking nothing like what she thought she would. Not being able to reconcile with her new face, she ignored mirrors for a whole year. However, at the end of her stor y, she encountered a man who made her feel good about herself. Finally, she had the acceptance she needed to peak at her reflection in a window.â€Å"The Story of my Body,† by Judith Ortiz Cofer, tells the tale of what is was like for the young Cofer to grow up Puerto Rican. In her own society she was considered light skinned and tall. When she moved to the United States, she was considered dark and short. This instant change in the way people perceived her was very hard for the child to take.She got to the point where she no longer wanted to look at herself. She was an outcast at school, so much so that her parents had to send her to live with her grandparents in order to attend a different school. Unfortunately, things weren’t much better for her there. She was bone-thin at the age where most teenagers start to blossom.She was also considered â€Å"dirty† by white people, and was unable to date the boy she loved because his parents would not allow him to date a â€Å"dark† girl. However, Cofer excelled in school. It was the one thing that she could do right. When her good grades got her into college, she was in a different world where people found her â€Å"exotic† and beautiful. Being accepted came, oddly enough, by being different.These three stories have much in common. For instance, all three women gave up looking at themselves for various amounts of time. Being told that they were â€Å"ugly† and â€Å"dirty† took a toll on each one’s self esteem. Each woman had a physical problem. Walker had a discolored, blind eye, Grealy had a terribly disfigured face, and Cofer, along with being the exact opposite of the standards for beauty, had chicken pox scars all over her face.All of these reasons, although they vary in severity, were more than enough reason to make a young woman want to hang her head. No one ever said that the teenage and young adult years were easy, anyway. Perhaps the most important thi ng that they all had in common was the need for something to better their perceptions of themselves. For Walker, it was her child. Once she had acceptance from her little one, she was free to face the world.For Grealy, it was having lunch with a man who did not seem disgusted or turned off by her deformities. His attitude towards her was enough to make her want to see what he saw in her. For Cofer, it was excelling in school and making it to college. There she found people who didn’t care if she was different, and some that actually seemed to like her better because she was different. She could finally think of herself as pretty again.The stories also have some contrasting themes. The types of suffering experienced by the women were vastly different. Although one can emphasize with Cofer over being picked last in gym and looking different, her suffering was much less than Grealy’s loss of a portion of her face or Walker’s loss of sight. The way that each woman o vercame her difficulties is also different. Cofer used her smarts and her mental ability to rise above those who tortured her. Walker was partially freed by having her cataract removed in order to look more â€Å"normal.†However, Grealy turned her back on her femininity for a while and withdrew into books, not wanting to accept the fact that she lived in the real world. She was perked up by the man mentioned above, but she fell into a sad life of drug addiction and eventual suicide. This is perhaps the largest contrast. While Walker and Cofer found their beauty, Grealy apparently never did.In conclusion, these three stories have a lot to teach us about our reaction to suffering. We should not hide ourselves away from the world because of our problems, but neither should we cause other people to want to hide away because of our stares and comments. Beauty is subjective. Magazines and movies would have us believe that only one kind of beauty is acceptable, but that is not the c ase.People who rise from adversity are often left with beautiful souls, and that is what we should look for in a person. All these women mentioned were beautiful because they persevered, and it is a shame that Grealy could not come to see herself in that light. If nothing else, these stories should show the reader that beauty really is in the eye of the beholder, and we should never do or say anything to steal another person’s beauty from them.

IDEA and Special Education Annotated Essay

Bowen, S. and Rude, H. (2006). Assessment and students with disabilities: Issues and challenges with educational reform. Rural Special Education Quarterly, 25 (3), pp. 24-30. Retrieved October 14, 2008, from Academic Search Premier database. Bowen and Rude pointed out that the 2004 reauthorization of IDEA reflected an effort to align IDEA with NCLB. This article focuses specifically on the problem of accountability, eligibility for special education services, summary of performance, and transition services for special education students. Also included are guiding principles for selecting appropriate accommodations for assessments. Ketterlin-Geller, L. (2007). Recommendations for accommodations: Implications of (in)consistency. Remedial and Special Education, 28 (4), pp. 194-206. Retrieved October 14, 2008, from Academic Search Premier. The author noted the importance of appropriate accommodations for students who have special needs. Unfortunately, student IEPs are often not aligned with the actual accommodations that are made in the classroom. This disagreement between the classroom teacher and the IEP team results in inconsistent accommodations which, according to Ketterlin-Geller, have a negative effect on student outcomes. The author outlined several possible causes for these inconsistencies. Ketterlin-Geller concluded, â€Å"Regardless of the root cause for the disagreement between IEPs and teachers, the current system is placing teachers in the awkward position of enacting a set of predetermined, legally binding guidelines with the intention of providing the support needed for their students to succeed. † Lynch, S. and Adams, P. (2008). Developing standards-based Individualized Education Program objectives for students with significant needs. Teaching Exceptional Children, 40 (3), pp. 36-39. Retrieved October 14, 2008, from Academic Search Premier. Lynch and Adams noted the apparent conflict between the expectations of NCLB and the requirements of IDEA described guidelines that may be used to help districts to develop assessments that are inline with student IEPs. This article focuses on developing assessments that address pre-symbolic levels of learning, early symbolic learning, and expanded symbolic levels of learning. National Education Association (2004). IDEA and NCLB: Intersection of Access and Outcomes. Retrieved October 14, 2008, from http://www. nea. org/specialed/images/ideanclbintersection. pdf This 47-page booklet describes the implications of NCLB for IDEA. Section One of the booklet addresses standardized assessments for students with disabilities, including acceptable accommodations under NCLB. The booklet also addresses how special education may affect Annual Yearly Progress (AYP) reports. The text includes several links to documents that may be used for policy guidance for districts that are developing policies for special education. Turnbull, H. (2005). Individuals With Disabilities Education Act Reauthorization: Accountability and personal responsibility. Remedial & Special Education, 26 (6), pp. 320-326. Retrieved October 14, 2008, from Academic Search Premier database. Turnbull noted that IDEA 2004 reflects the concept that the teacher, the school, and the federal government share in the responsibility of improving student outcomes. Turnbull argued that this scope of responsibility must also include parents and students if learning and student achievement are to take place. U. S. Congress (2002). No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. Public Law 107-110. 2002. Retrieved October 14, 2008, from http://www. ed. gov/legislation/ESEA02/107-110. pdf This is the full text of NCLB. Altogether, the law is 670 pages long. The sheer volume of NCLB makes it difficult for many parents and school administrators to read through understand. References to IDEA and special education are spread throughout the bill; however, the most reference with the most significance for special education is found on page 1448-1449, in which â€Å"not less than 95 percent† of students, including students in special education, are required to take assessments â€Å"with accommodations, guidelines, and alternative assessments provided in the same manner as those provided† under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). U. S. Congress (2004). Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004, Public Law 108-446. Retrieved October 14, 2008, from http://www. copyright. gov/legislation/pl108-446. pdf The full text of the 2004 reauthorization of IDEA. It is interesting to note that although IDEA 2004 was passed 2 years after the enactment of NCLB, there is no reference to NCLB in IDEA 2004. IDEA 2004 does note, however, that â€Å"all children with disabilities are included in all general State and districtwide assessment programs† (p. 40). Provisions are also made for alternative assessments. The philosophy of NCLB is also reflected in the IDEA 2004 requirement that states and school districts shall report the number of students who required an alternative assessment and how those students performed on the assessment (p. 41). Voltz, D. and Fore, C. (2006). Urban special education in the context of standards-based reform. Remedial and Special Education, 27 (6), pp. 329-336. Retrieved October 14, 2008, from Academic Search Premier. Critics of NCLB have argued that children from low-income families are more likely to have difficulty passing standardized assessments. Voltz and Fore pointed out that education does not occur in a vacuum. To be effective, education reform must be linked to broader social reform, including reforms that reduce poverty and that address the effect of poverty on student achievement. Wakeman, S. , Browder, D., Meier, I. , and McColl, A. (2007). The implications of No Child Left Behind for students with developmental disabilities. Mental Retardation & Developmental Disabilities Research Reviews, 13 (2), pp. 143-150. Retrieved October 14, 2008, from Academic Search Premier database. This review addresses how to develop appropriate alternative assessments for children who have developmental delays and the implications of NCLB for curriculum and instruction for these children. The authors encouraged teachers to work towards meeting challenging academic standards for their students with developmental delays and noted that â€Å"there is no research indicating that functional skills must be mastered before academic learning can take place†. Wakeman, et al. , also pointed out that the requirements of NCLB may make it more difficult to recruit and to retain teachers who are qualified to work with this population. Wasta, M. (2006). No Child Left Behind: The death of special education? Phi Delta Kappan, 88 (4), pp. 298-299. Retrieved October 14, 2008, from Academic Search Premier. In this editorial, Wasta argues that NCLB includes unrealistic expectations for the educational outcomes of students with disabilities. Wasta fears that NCLB may lead some schools to eliminate their special education programs altogether. Despite his concerns about NCLB, Wasta contends that special education students should not be exempt from assessments and other provisions of the law. Instead, NCLB should be modified to include realistic expectations for special education students and special education programs.

Environmental Groups Essay

Environmental Groups Tiffany Tremaine May 2, 2011 Environmental Policies 310 Instructor: David Monda Environmental Working Group known as EWG is an Environmental interest group working to protect kids from toxic chemicals in our food, water, air, and other products we use every day. The mission of the Environmental Working Group is to use the power of public information to protect public health and the environment. EWG is a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization, founded in 1993 by Ken Cook and Richard Wiles. In 2002, we founded the EWG Action Fund, a 501(c) (4) organization that advocates on Capitol Hill for health-protective and subsidy-shifting policies. EWG specializes in providing useful resources (like Skin Deep and the EWG’s Shopper’s Guide to Pesticidesâ„ ¢) to consumers while simultaneously pushing for national policy change. EWG two main goals are to protect the most vulnerable segments of the human population—children, babies, and infants in the womb—from health problems attributed to a wide array of toxic contaminants and to replace federal policies, including government subsidies that damage the environment and natural resources, with policies that invest in conservation and sustainable development. Their research brings to light unsettling facts that you have a right to know. It shames and shakes up polluters and their lobbyists. It rattles politicians and shapes policy. It persuades bureaucracies to rethink science and strengthen regulation. It provides practical information you can use to protect your family and community. And because our investigations and interactive websites tend to make news, you’ve probably heard about them. EWG primary funding is donations, grants, corporations backing, as well as interest and support from every day people. The cost is whatever the member (supporter) would like to donate. There are many different ways to donate and the donations can either be tax right offs or not. EWG gives many ways to donate, credit card or check, and their supporters can either make a one-time contribution or pay monthly. The donation helps support EWG Action Fund’s Kid-Safe Chemicals Campaign fight for organic produce, get dangerous chemicals out of your food and water, and protect your favorite national parks from mining destruction. In 2009 and 2010 EWG have accomplished Toxic chemical reform, Energy policy, Banning BPA, Highlighting cell phone radiation risks, Shedding light on secret chemicals, Pushing for more effective sunscreens, Banning phthalates, Phasing out Deca, Protecting ground water from gas-drilling chemicals, Saving the Grand Canyon, and Fighting for safer tap water. EWG motives, viewpoints, and organizational features make them successful in the public policy arena. This Environmental Working Group is successful in the public policy arena. After researching just a couple of their accomplishments are in the public arena. References Z. Smith, 2009, The Environmental Policy Paradox, 5th Edition 1993, http://www. ewg. org/