Pros and Cons of Biofuels Essays -- Energy Production, Biomass, Corn

Before talking about biofuels, you need to know the basics from where it is created from. Biofuels are produced from biomass, which is derived from living or recently living plant matter such as trees, grasses, agricultural residue, algae, and other biological material. â€Å"Biofuel is considered carbon neutral†, which absorbs roughly the same amount of carbon dioxide during growth as when it is burnt (Rutherford, 2009). Biofuels is much cleaner than petrol/diesel because of the considerable impact petrol/diesel has on the environment from the high fuel emissions. Biofuels will help decrease dependence on fossil fuels such as oil, gas, petrol, and coal. This paper will discuss the many crops that biofuels derive from, the various types of biofuels, and the advantages (Pros) and disadvantages (Cons) of biofuels. These biofuels will reduce our nation's dependence on foreign oil, improve our air quality, and support rural economies. Pros and Cons of Biofuels The primary principle of how biofuels work is through the process of photosynthesis, which is how plants capture and store the sun’s energy. The energy stored in the plants is converted to many types of biofuels through a process called biocatalysis. Biofuels are developed through agricultural crops. There are two factors why agricultural crops are the main reason biofuels are developing: plants are easy to grow and are a key form of a renewable resource. There are many crops that biofuels are specifically grown and produced from. Here is a list of the top ten agricultural crops and a description of each. 10) Corn Turning sugar-rich corn into ethanol is like a brewery. They first grind the kernels and mix them with warm water. Then they add yea... ...ps engines last longer by eliminating the wear and tear (Perritano, 2011). 4) Health Benefits According to Reilly, 10,000 people die each year in the United States from pollution created by gasoline engines (Perritano, 2011). Reilly also stated that gasoline emissions release nitrogen oxide, acetaldehyde, and other pollutants in air that produce smog which causes asthma and respiratory ailments. As stated before biofuels reduces emissions and pollution. Biofuels only release the carbon dioxide which their plant source absorbs out of the atmosphere. In conclusion, biofuels are quickly becoming the future source of fuel to run vehicles and equipment. Biofuels has many disadvantages, but the advantages significantly outweigh them. Nobody has a definite answer on how to fix the growing fuel and oil crisis of today, but biofuels absolutely has promise. Pros and Cons of Biofuels Essays -- Energy Production, Biomass, Corn Before talking about biofuels, you need to know the basics from where it is created from. Biofuels are produced from biomass, which is derived from living or recently living plant matter such as trees, grasses, agricultural residue, algae, and other biological material. â€Å"Biofuel is considered carbon neutral†, which absorbs roughly the same amount of carbon dioxide during growth as when it is burnt (Rutherford, 2009). Biofuels is much cleaner than petrol/diesel because of the considerable impact petrol/diesel has on the environment from the high fuel emissions. Biofuels will help decrease dependence on fossil fuels such as oil, gas, petrol, and coal. This paper will discuss the many crops that biofuels derive from, the various types of biofuels, and the advantages (Pros) and disadvantages (Cons) of biofuels. These biofuels will reduce our nation's dependence on foreign oil, improve our air quality, and support rural economies. Pros and Cons of Biofuels The primary principle of how biofuels work is through the process of photosynthesis, which is how plants capture and store the sun’s energy. The energy stored in the plants is converted to many types of biofuels through a process called biocatalysis. Biofuels are developed through agricultural crops. There are two factors why agricultural crops are the main reason biofuels are developing: plants are easy to grow and are a key form of a renewable resource. There are many crops that biofuels are specifically grown and produced from. Here is a list of the top ten agricultural crops and a description of each. 10) Corn Turning sugar-rich corn into ethanol is like a brewery. They first grind the kernels and mix them with warm water. Then they add yea... ...ps engines last longer by eliminating the wear and tear (Perritano, 2011). 4) Health Benefits According to Reilly, 10,000 people die each year in the United States from pollution created by gasoline engines (Perritano, 2011). Reilly also stated that gasoline emissions release nitrogen oxide, acetaldehyde, and other pollutants in air that produce smog which causes asthma and respiratory ailments. As stated before biofuels reduces emissions and pollution. Biofuels only release the carbon dioxide which their plant source absorbs out of the atmosphere. In conclusion, biofuels are quickly becoming the future source of fuel to run vehicles and equipment. Biofuels has many disadvantages, but the advantages significantly outweigh them. Nobody has a definite answer on how to fix the growing fuel and oil crisis of today, but biofuels absolutely has promise.

Is Nuclear Energy Answer to the Energy Crisis by Albert You

Is nuclear power the answer to the energy crisis? Submission Date: 29/8/2012 Required Length: 1250-1500 Actual Length: 1291 Introduction It is frequently said that nuclear energy is cheaper, safer and more efficient than fossil fuels, and without the effects on air pollution, so it is often seen as a solution to the energy crisis. In 2000, approximately a sixth of the global electricity power was provided by nuclear power. Boyle, G et al 2003) However, over the last year, there has been the serious accident with a nuclear power plant in Japan, which has draw attention on the nuclear issue once again, as it recalled the devastating disaster of Chernobyl, Ukraine in 1986. It needs to be asked whether it is safe enough to be the answer to the energy crisis. From my perspective, exploitation of the nuclear energy have done more harm than good so far. Therefore, how to approach the role of nuclear power in this energy crisis in future is the highest priority.Environment According to the S ustainable Development commission (2006), there is no energy technology can reach zero carbon emissions currently. Even renewable technologies will lead to carbon emissions during construction. Nuclear power plants are no different. With large demand of product of cement and metal during construction, mining the uranium ore, massive energy inputs on wastes disposal and the uranium enrichment facility, nuclear energy is definitely not green energy like people say so.Moreover, as the by-product during the uranium enrichment processes, HCFC (hydro chlorofluorocarbon), the major contributor of depletion of the ozone layer in the upper atmosphere, which more or less discharged to the atmosphere though after treatment. Due to the limitation of efficiency, approximately 33% heat utilization ratio (From IAEA 2012), the light water reactor have, a large amount of waste heat are discharged by nuclear plant .For typical nuclear systems, in order to ensure that the effects of temperature rise i n the environment is small, a large amounts of water (around a billion gallons per day) must be passed through the steam condenser to cool down them ,which also is the main reason why the nuclear plants built near the sea or water area . Heater water can have adverse effects on the plant and animal life which might cause a great variation among species. ( Murray, R 1980) All nuclear plants generate dangerous nuclear wastes.Nuclear wastes contain radioactive material which is hazardous to most forms of life and the environment. Some nuclear wastes remain dangerous for thousands of years. When biological tissue expose on radiation or touch radioactive material, energy is deposited and a series physical changes take place that cause huge damage on the cells to variation or death. Current major approaches to managing nuclear wastes are segregation, storage and deep burial for a long time according the different risk level of wastes.There are some cases about leak of wastes, and few comm unities are willing to accept waste site near them. (Gore, A, 2009) Cost and economy If only considering the unit cost of producing electricity by the nuclear power comparing other forms of energy, it is seems to be cheaper much from the data (World Nuclear Association, 2010). However, building a new nuclear plant is a tremendously complicated project that costs huge investment and takes many years to complete. It is no likely to calculate the accurate cost of a new nuclear power plant claimed by the Sustainable Develop Commission.Helen Caldicott (2010) believes that the real economy value of nuclear industry is never carefully analyzed, including the cost of uranium enrichment, financial claims after the nuclear disaster, construction and decommission. It is a fact that a smaller proportion (approximately 26%) of fuel cost accounts for a nuclear power plant’s whole operating cost than other types of power plants. However, the high cost of waste disposal remains a big headach e since advent of nuclear technology .According to the mail online news, the cost of cleaning up Britain's nuclear waste has increased to almost ? 48 billion, it was revealed today as the Government unveiled â€Å"radical† changes to managing the country's nuclear legacy. The cost of the programme was estimated at ? 43 billion last year but it has soared to ? 47. 9 billion. (2012). A further problem is that nuclear power plants must maintain higher standards of operational condition in case of the likelihood of potential safety loopholes of equipment in poor condition.In addition Employees, administration, and supplies cost a nuclear power plant $0. 0137 per kWh on average in 2008. (Morgan J, 2010) Going back to the nuclear disaster cause by earthquake-tsunami in Fukushima, the government of Japan estimates the cost at $300 billion, which would make it the most expensive natural disaster on record, according to Birmingham L (2011). JP Morgan has estimated the Tokyo electricit y company may face claims of up to 2 trillion yen, nearly 15 billion pounds by the end of this year.As to the subsequent expenditure of Chernobyl disaster, in Ukraine, 5-7 percent of government spending each year is still devoted to Chernobyl-related benefits and programmes. In Belarus, total spending by Belarus on Chernobyl between 1991 and 2003 was more than US $ 13 billion. Safety and Accidents The most important part of public concern is the safety of nuclear plant. Regardless of how many wisdom man have, human being never can bear the disastrous results once nuclear accident take place.Huge loss in economy, irreversible damage in environment and unexpected effects on future, all of these prove the nuclear power have not meet the contemporary safe needs. With the last one nuclear power station closed in March 2012 in Japan, which means the all of the Japan’s 50 reactors have been taken off line, marking the country’s first no nuclear power day since May 1970. And a fter Fukushima disaster, under the pressure of anti- nuclear protests, Germany's coalition government has announced a reversal of policy that all the country's nuclear power plants will be phased out by 2022.Twenty five years on, the disaster at Chernobyl casts a long shadow over the people. As the most serious nuclear disaster on history , Chernobyl disaster, which lead directly to thirty one deaths in that accident . About 200,000 people had to be permanently migrated after the disaster. According to IAEA report, up to 4,000 people may die from long-term diseases related to the accident. Those numbers are a subject of debate. The World Health Organization reported the actual number of deaths related to Chernobyl was about 9,000. However, when atastrophe happened in Fukushima, in Japan, this tragedy makes people realise the terrible hazard of nuclear power once again and the fear is far more than the loss. There have been over 25 indirectly deaths or cases of radiation sickness fro m the nuclear accident, over 100,000 people had to be evacuated from their homes. In this day and age, for terrorists, nuclear power plants are obvious targets. (Caldicott, h, 2007) Assault by hijacked plane, truck bombs, or covert attack into the reactor’s control room, which are very likely happened in the future. Once breakout of war, nuclear plants also are first military targets.The subsequence of meltdown or destroy of reactors could trigger the countless death of people in heavily populated areas, and they would suffer slowly and painfully from acute radiation sickness year after year, cancer, leukaemia, congenital deformities, or genetic disease. Conclusion In conclusion, it is clear from the preceding arguments that the weakness overweighed the advantages in nuclear power use, considering the impacts of the unclear power to the environment, huge cost of upfront investment and reconstruction after disaster and the unknown safety hidden risk.Owing to this, people shoul d take the nuclear power seriously because of the nuclear disaster would not be unbearable by human race. Hence, the each governments should not promoted the nuclear power as the answer to the energy crisis. Bibliography Birmingham, L. 2011, Japan Recovery Slowed by Aftershocks, Tokyo Monday Boyle, G, et al. 2003, Energy Systems and sustainability- power for a sustainable future, Oxford university press: Oxford, Pp, 395-396. Caldicott, H. 2007, Nuclear power is not the answer new press Pp,55-58.Gore, A. 2009, Our Choice: a plan to solve the climate crisis, Bloomsbury publishing: Great Britain Pp, 150-154. IAEA, 2012. Summary of Nuclear Power Reactors [online] available: http://world-nuclear. org/reference/default. aspx? id=984&LangType=2057&terms=33%25 [accessed at 26/08/2012] IAEA, 2001. 15 Years After Chernobyl, nuclear power plant safety improved , but strains on health, economy and environment remain[online]available: http://www. iaea. org/newscenter/features/chernobyl-1 5/cherno15_main. shtml[acce

An ecosystem as a community Essay

Introduction An ecosystem is a community of living organisms (plants, animals and microbes) in conjunction with the nonliving components of their environment (things like air, water and mineral soil), interacting as a system.[2] These biotic and abiotic components are regarded as linked together through nutrient cycles and energy flows.[3] As ecosystems are defined by the network of interactions among organisms, and between organisms and their environment,[4] they can be of any size but usually encompass specific, limited spaces[5] (although some scientists say that the entire planet is an ecosystem).[6] Energy, water, nitrogen and soil minerals are other essential abiotic components of an ecosystem. The energy that flows through ecosystems is obtained primarily from the sun. It generally enters the system through photosynthesis, a process that also captures carbonfrom the atmosphere. By feeding on plants and on one another, animals play an important role in the movement of matter and energy through the system. They also influence the quantity of plant and microbial biomass present. By breaking down dead organic matter,decomposers release carbon back to the atmosphere and facilitate nutrient cycling by converting nutrients stored in dead biomass back to a form that can be readily used by plants and other microbes.[7] Ecosystems are controlled both by external and internal factors. External factors such as climate, the parent material which forms the soil and topography, control the overall structure of an ecosystem and the way things work within it, but are not themselves influenced by the ecosystem.[8] Other external factors include time and potential biota. Ecosystems are dynamic entities—invariably, they are subject to periodic disturbances and are in the process of recovering from some past disturbance.[9] Ecosystems in similar environments that are located in different parts of the world can have very different characteristics simply because they contain different species.[8] Theintroduction of non-native species can cause substantial shifts in ecosystem function. Internal factors not only control ecosystem processes but are also controlled by them and are often subject to feedback loops.[8] While the resource inputs are generally controlled by external processes like climate and parent material, the  availability of these resources within the ecosystem is controlled by internal factors like decomposition, root competition or shading.[8] Other internal factors include disturbance, succession and the types of species present. Although humans exist and operate within ecosystems, their cumulative effects are large enough to influence external factors like climate.[8] Biodiversity affects ecosystem function, as do the processes of disturbance and succession. Ecosystems provide a variety of goods and services upon which people depend; the principles of ecosystem management suggest that rather than managing individual species,natural resources should be managed at the level of the ecosystem itself. Classifying ecosystems into ecologically homogeneous units is an important step towards effective ecosystem management, but there is no single, agreed-upon way to do this. Classification Classifying ecosystems into ecologically homogeneous units is an important step towards effective ecosystem management.[42] A variety of systems exist, based on vegetation cover, remote sensing, and bioclimatic classification systems.[42] American geographer Robert Bailey defines a hierarchy of ecosystem units ranging from microecosystems (individual homogeneous sites, on the order of 10 square kilometres (4 sq mi) in area), through mesoecosystems (landscape mosaics, on the order of 1,000 square kilometres (400 sq mi)) to macroecosystems (ecoregions, on the order of 100,000 square kilometres (40,000 sq mi)).[43] Bailey outlined five different methods for identifying ecosystems: gestalt (â€Å"a whole that is not derived through considerable of its parts†), in which regions are recognized and boundaries drawn intuitively; a map overlay system where different layers like geology, landforms and soil types are overlain to identify ecosystems; multivariate clustering of site attrib utes; digital image processing of remotely sensed data grouping areas based on their appearance or other spectral properties; or by a â€Å"controlling factors method† where a subset of factors (like soils, climate, vegetation physiognomy or the distribution of plant or animal species) are selected from a large array of possible ones are used to delineate ecosystems.[44] In contrast with  Bailey’s methodology, Puerto Rico ecologist Ariel Lugo and coauthors identified ten characteristics of an effective classification system: that it be based on georeferenced, quantitative data; that it should minimize subjectivity and explicitly identify criteria and assumptions; that it should be structured around the factors that drive ecosystem processes; that it should reflect the hierarchical nature of ecosystems; that it should be flexible enough to conform to the various scales at which ecosystem management operates; that it should be tied to reliable measures of climate so that it can â€Å"anticipat[e] global climate change; that it be applicable worldwide; that it should be validated against independent data; that it take into account the sometimes complex relationship between climate, vegetation and ecosystem functioning; and that it should be able to adapt and improve as new data become available†.[42] Types Aquatic ecosystem An aquatic ecosystem is an ecosystem in a body of water. Communities of organisms that are dependent on each other and on their environment live in aquatic ecosystems. The two main types of aquatic ecosystems are marine ecosystems andfreshwater ecosystems.[1] Marine ecosystems: cover approximately 71% of the Earth’s surface and contain approximately 97% of the planet’s water. They generate 32% of the world’s net primary production.[1] They are distinguished from freshwater ecosystems by the presence of dissolved compounds, especially salts, in the water. Approximately 85% of the dissolved materials in seawater are sodium and chlorine. Seawater has an average salinity of 35 parts per thousand (ppt) of water. Actual salinity varies among different marine ecosystems.[2] Large marine ecosystems: (LMEs) are regions of the world’s oceans, encompassing coastal areas from river basins and estuaries to the seaward boundaries of continental shelves and the outer margins of the major ocean current systems. They are relatively large regions on the order of 200,000 km ² or greater, characterized by distinct bathymetry, hydrography, productivity, and trophically dependent populations. The system of LMEs has been developed by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric  Administration (NOAA) to identify areas of the oceans for conservation purposes. The objective is to use the LME concept as a tool for enabling ecosystem-based management to provide a collaborative approach to management of resources within ecologically-bounded transnational areas. This will be done in an international context and consistent with customary international law as reflected in 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.[1] LME-based conservation is based on recognition that the world’s coastal ocean waters are degraded by unsustainable fishing practices, habitat degradation, eutrophication, toxic pollution, aerosol contamination, and emerging diseases, and that positive actions to mitigate these threats require coordinated actions by governments and civil society to recover depleted fish populations, restore degraded habitats and reduce coastal pollution. Although the LMEs cover only the continental margins and not the deep oceans and oceanic islands, the 64 LMEs produce 95% of the world’s annual marine fishery biomassyields. Most of the global ocean pollution, overexploitation, and coastal habitat alteration occur within their waters. NOAA has conducted studies of principal driving forces affecting changes in biomass yields for 33 of t he 64 LMEs, which have been peer-reviewed and published in ten volumes.[2] Freshwater ecosystems: are a subset of Earth’s aquatic ecosystems. They include lakes and ponds, rivers, streams and springs, and wetlands. They can be contrasted with marine ecosystems, which have a larger salt content. Freshwater habitats can be classified by different factors, including temperature, light penetration, and vegetation. Freshwater ecosystems can be divided into lentic ecosystems (still water) and lotic ecosystems (flowing water). Limnology (and its branch freshwater biology) is a study about freshwater ecosystems. It is a part of hydrobiology. Original efforts to understand and monitor freshwater ecosystems were spurred on by threats to human health (ex. Cholera outbreaks due to sewage contamination). Early monitoring focussed on chemical indicators, then bacteria, and finally algae, fungi and protozoa. A new type of monitoring involves differing groups of organisms (macroinvertebrates, macrophytes and fish) and the stream conditions associated with them. Current biomonitering techniques focus mainly on community structure or biochemical oxygen demand. Responses  are measured by behavioural changes, altered rates of growth, reproduction or mortality. Macroinvertebrates are most often used in these models because of well known taxonomy, ease of collection, sensitivity to a range of stressors, and their overall value to the ecosystem. Most of these measurements are difficult to extrapolate on a large scale however. The use of reference sites is common when assessing what a healthy freshwater ecosystem should â€Å"look like†. Reference sites are easier to reconstruct in standing water than moving water. Preserved indicators such as diatom valves, macrophyte pollen, insect chitin and fish scales can be used to establish a reference ecosystem representative of a time before lar ge scale human disturbance. Common chemical stresses on freshwater ecosystem health include acidification, eutrophication and copper and pesticide contamination. Lake ecosystems :The ecosystem of a lake includes biotic (living) plants, animals and micro-organisms, as well as abiotic (nonliving) physical and chemical interactions.[1] Lake ecosystems are a prime examples of lentic ecosystems. Lentic refers to standing or relatively still water, from the Latin lentus, which means sluggish. Lentic waters range from ponds to lakes to wetlands, and much of this article applies to lentic ecosystems in general. Lentic ecosystems can be compared withlotic ecosystems, which involve flowing terrestrial waters such as rivers and streams. Together, these two fields form the more general study area of freshwater or aquatic ecology. Lentic systems are diverse, ranging from a small, temporary rainwater pool a few inches deep to Lake Baikal, which has a maximum depth of 1740 m.[2] The general distinction between pools/ponds and lakes is vague, but Brown[1] states that ponds and pools have their entire bottom surfaces exposed to light, while lakes do not. In addition, some lakes become seasonally stratified (discussed in more detail below.) Ponds and pools have two regions: the pelagic open water zone, and the benthic zone, which comprises the bottom and shore regions. Since lakes have deep bottom regions not exposed to light, these systems have an additional zone, the profundal.[3] These three areas can have very different abiotic conditions and, hence, host species that are specifically adapted to live there.[1] River ecosystem The ecosystem of a river is the river viewed as a system operating in its natural environment, and includes biotic (living) interactions amongst plants, animals and micro-organisms, as well as abiotic (nonliving) physical and chemical interactions.[1][2] River ecosystems are prime examples of lotic ecosystems. Lotic refers to flowing water, from the Latin lotus, washed. Lotic waters range from springs only a few centimeters wide to major rivers kilometers in width.[3] Much of this article applies to lotic ecosystems in general, including related lotic systems such as streams and springs. Lotic ecosystems can be contrasted with lentic ecosystems, which involve relatively still terrestrial waters such as lakes and ponds. Together, these two fields form the more general study area of freshwater or aquatic ecology. The following unifying characteristics make the ecology of running waters unique from that of other aquatic habitats.[4] Flow is unidirectional. There is a state of continuous physical change. There is a high degree of spatial and temporal heterogeneity at all scales (microhabitats). Variability between lotic systems is quite high.  The biota is specialized to live with flow conditions. Wetland ECOSYSTEM A wetland is a land area that is saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, such that it takes on the characteristics of a distinct ecosystem.[2] Primarily, the factor that distinguishes wetlands from other land forms or water bodies is the characteristic vegetationthat is adapted to its unique soil conditions. Wetlands consist primarily of hydric soil, which supports aquatic plants.[3][4] The water found in wetlands can be saltwater, freshwater, or brackish.[4] Main wetland types include swamps, marshes, bogs and fens.[5]Sub-types include mangrove, carr, pocosin, and varzea. Wetlands play a number of roles in the environment, principally water purification, flood control, and shoreline stability. Wetlands are also considered the most biologically diverse of all ecosystems, serving as home to a wide range of plant and  animal life.[6] Wetlands occur naturally on every continent except Antarctica.[7] They can also be constructed artificially as a water management tool, which may play a role in the developing field of water-sensitive urban design. The largest wetlands in the world include the Amazon River basin and the West Siberian Plain.[8] Another large wetland is the Pantanal, which straddles Brazil, Bolivia, and Paraguay in South America.[9] The UN Millennium Ecosystem Assessment determined that environmental degradation is more prominent within wetland systems than any other ecosystem on Earth. International conservation efforts are being used in conjunction with the development of rapid assessment tools to inform people about wetland issues. Terrestrial ecosystem A terrestrial ecosystem is an ecosystem found only on landforms. Six primary terrestrial ecosystems exist: tundra, taiga, temperate deciduous forest, tropical rain forest,grassland and desert.[1] A community of organisms and their environment that occurs on the land masses of continents and islands. Terrestrial ecosystems are distinguished from aquatic ecosystems by the lower availability of water and the consequent importance of water as a limiting factor. Terrestrial ecosystems are characterized by greater temperature fluctuations on both a diurnal and seasonal basis than occur in aquatic ecosystems in similar climates. The availability of light is greater in terrestrial ecosystems than in aquatic ecosystems because the atmosphere is more transparent in land than in water. Gases are more available in terrestrial ecosystems than in aquatic ecosystems. Those gases include carbon dioxide that serves as a substrate for photosynthesis, oxygen that serves as a substrate in aerobic respiration, and nitrogen that serves as a substrate for nitrogen fixation. Terrestrial environments are segmented into a subterranean portion from which most water and ions are obtained, and an atmospheric portion from which gases are obtained and where the physical energy of light is transformed into the organic energy of carbon-carbon bonds through the process of photosynthesis. Terrestrial ecosystems occupy 55,660,000 mi2 (144,150,000 km2), or 28.2%, of Earth’s surface. Although they are comparatively recent in the history of life (the first terrestrial organisms appeared in the Silurian Period, about 425 million years ago) and  occupy a much smaller portion of Earth’s surface than marine ecosystems, terrestrial ecosystems have been a major site of adaptive radiation of both plants and animals. Major plant taxa in terrestrial ecosystems are members of the division Magnoliophyta (flowering plants), of which there are about 275,000 species, and the division Pinophyta (conifers), of which there are about 500 species. Members of the division Bryophyta (mosses and liverworts), of which there are about 24,000 species, are also important in some terrestrial ecosystems. Major animal taxa in terrestrial ecosystems include the classes Insecta (insects) with about 900,000 species, Aves (birds) with 8500 species, and Mammalia (mammals) with approximately 4100 species. Organisms in terrestrial ecosystems have adaptations that allow them to obtain water when the entire body is no longer bathed in that fluid, means of transporting the water from limited sites of acquisition to the rest of the body, and means of preventing the evaporation of water from body surfaces. They also have traits that provide body support in the atmosphere, a much less buoyant medium than water, and other traits t hat render them capable of withstanding the extremes of temperature, wind, and humidity that characterize terrestrial ecosystems. Finally, the organisms in terrestrial ecosystems have evolved many methods of transporting gametes in environments where fluid flow is much less effective as a transport medium. The organisms in terrestrial ecosystems are integrated into a functional unit by specific, dynamic relationships due to the coupled processes of energy and chemical flow. Those relationships can be summarized by schematic diagrams of trophic webs, which place organisms according to their feeding relationships. The base of the food web is occupied by green plants, which are the only organisms capable of utilizing the energy of the Sun and inorganic nutrients obtained from the soil to produce organic molecules. Terrestrial food webs can be broken into two segments based on the status of the plant material that enters them. Grazing food webs are associated with the consumption of living plant material by herbivores. Detritus food webs are associated with the consumption of dead plant material by detritivores. Th e relative importance of those two types of food webs varies considerably in different types of terrestrial ecosystems. Grazing food webs are more important in grasslands, where over half of net primary productivity may be consumed by herbivores. Detritus food webs are more important in forests, where less  than 5% of net primary productivity may be consumed by herbivores. There is one type of extensive terrestrial ecosystem due solely to human activities and eight types that are natural ecosystems. Those natural ecosystems reflect the variation of precipitation and temperature over Earth’s surface. The smallest land areas are occupied by tundra and temperate grassland ecosystems, and the largest land area is occupied by tropical forest. The most productive ecosystems are temperate and tropical forests, and the least productive are deserts and tundras. Cultivated lands, which together with grasslands and savannas utilized for grazing are referred to as agroecosystems, are of intermediate extent and productivity. Because of both their areal extent and their high average productivity, tropical forests are the most productive of all terrestrial ecosystems, contributing 45% of total estimated net primary productivity on land. CAUSES OF DESTRUCTION The degradation of ecosystems is an environmental problem that diminishes the capacity of species to survive. This degradation occurs in different ways and is manifested in a reduction in the richness of the ecosystems as well as their biological diversity, and in the goods and services they can offer, thereby affecting indigenous and/or migratory species. The degradation of ecosystems due to overexploitation of their resources, though serving a short-term economic goal, has had direct negative effects on social welfare in the medium and long terms. As long as the ecosystem is not degraded, it represents a source of wealth for society, hence the importance of keeping it in good condition. One of the main causes that contributes to the degradation of ecosystems is the deforestation due to the advance of the agriculture frontier and inappropriate forest exploitation. More lands are deforested for commercial agriculture and live-stock rearing, and due to overexploitation of forest for wood and energy. In Nicaragua deforestation rates reach over 150,000 hectares per year and in Costa Rica over 18,500 hectares per year. At a lower scale, another problem is the uncontrolled fires used to prepare land for agricultural activities or to remove forest for the development of stock rearing areas. This practice eliminates the organic covering of the land, making it more susceptible to erosion by both  wind and water. In addition, the fires cause health problems and detract from the aesthetic value of the landscape. Accidental or natural fires are another case in point. They affect areas of natural forest. In the Upala and Los Chiles cantons, in Costa Rica, some 10,000 hectares were burned between 1998 and 1999. This problem is even more serious in the Nicaraguan territory of the basin. Equipment is lacking and communities need to be organized to control t hese fires as one of the main barriers to the burning of large areas. The construction of roads without proper drainage measures or in territories subject to penetration and settlement are high-stress factors for ecosystems, especially those which are highly fragile as a result of their weather conditions and the nature of their soil and water. Mining and the extraction of construction materials without taking measures to cushion the impact cause drastic changes in the natural landscape while degrading its valuable ecosystems. Wetlands are very fragile ecosystems that are being severely affected, causing a reduction in the number and diversity of the species of terrestrial flora, birds, reptiles, mammals, fish, and crustaceans. This problem results from excessive exploitation of wildlife species either to feed the population, to trade their furs, or to trade live species, and from sedimentation, which causes changes in water quality, thereby significantly affecting the reproduction of aquatic species that live and/or reproduce in the wetlands. The SJRB wetlands are very valuable ecosystems, which regulate the hydrological cycle and provide food and shelter for hundreds of species, including large quantities of migratory birds. One major cause of the deterioration of this ecosystem is the draining of wide areas of wetlands to give access to agricultural zones or human settlements. Aerial photographs of the Caà ±o Negro sector show how the pools of water have diminished over time, due in part to the drainage of wetlands for agricultural purposes and to the sedimentation occurring in recent years in the basin. Owing to the deterioration of these areas and the pressure of the neighboring communities on the use of the natural resources of the wetlands, it is necessary to draw up management plans to outline the socioeconomic characteristics of users and guidelines for usage, since people are highly dependent on these resources for their survival. A large portion of the ecological problems of the wetlands is due to ignorance of their benefits. The use of inappropriate fishing techniques endangers the  existence of certain species, altering the food chain of aquatic fauna and consequently deteriorating the aquatic ecosystems. This is the case of the bull shark that is now hard to find in Lake Nicaragua or in the San Juan River. In some cases, the introduction of exotic species endangers the existence of indigenous species with a high cultural value. Such is the case of the guapote, whose numbers are being reduced by the introduction of tilapias. The deterioration of ecosystems is exacerbated by the lack of an institutional presence in the territory, be it for technical or economic reasons, or a combination of both. As a result, laws on the regulation and control of natural resource use are not enforced. The participation of civil society in controlling the use and exploitation of natural resources is limited and, in many cases, very timid or markedly apathetic. One aspect that has not been evaluated in the degradation of the ecosystems is the incidence of different phenomena on these systems. The geographic location of the SJRB and the various geographic accidents encountered there render it susceptible to the impact of various events of this kind. In the SJRB there are a number of active volcanoes, which spew gas and ash causing damage to the plant life, the soil, polluting water bodies, and causing severe damage to entire populations. These volcanoes include the Masaya, the Maderas, and the Irazà º. Another natural phenomenon in the SJRB is landslides which, though located in specific areas, cause damage to the ecosystems, the soil, pollute water bodies, damage infrastructure and entire settlements. The Maderas volcano on the island Ometepe is a case in point. Similarly, during the last century, the SJRB has suffered the destructive effects of at least three hurricanes which, with their heavy rainfall, cause flooding damaging ecosystems, eroding soil, diverting river courses, causing severe damage to infrastructure and entire populations, resulting in the loss of human lives. Other natural phenomena that have caused damage to the ecosystems of the SJRB are the droughts that have occurred as a result of the El Nià ±o and seismic activity, which have changed river courses, particularly in the case of the Tipitapa River that provided a permanent connection between the Managua and Nicaragua lakes. As a result of an earthquake during the last century, the riverbed rose in a certain sector cutting off the existing connection between the two lakes. The degradation of the ecosystems makes the economic and social infrastructure of the SJRB more vulnerable and  increases the potential impact on the population. This vulnerability is reflected in shorter periods between the occurrence of floods or droughts and the soil becomes more unstable. Possible solutions to the problem of deterioration of the ecosystems include developing formal and informal environmental education programs to make farmers more aware of their actions; increasing enforcement of the existing l egislation; promoting proper natural resource management; and promoting the organization of grassroots groups to control burning from the outset. To prevent or mitigate the damage caused by extreme conditions, such as flooding and droughts and other effects of natural phenomena, it is necessary to set up and early warning system about possible swelling of water bodies and to monitor hydrometeorological behavior. It is also necessary to set up a seismographic network to monitor the behavior of volcanoes and tectonic faults. Similarly, social organization is necessary to design and test emergency plans for natural phenomena, to reduce the damage they cause. Institutions responsible for the control and regulation of natural resource use must be strengthened, both technically and economically, and be given the means for their mobilization. This would enable them to have a real presence in the territory. It is also necessary to create mechanisms for enforcing the current legislation. Conservation practices to save ecosystem Environmental protection is a practice of protecting the natural environment on individual, organizational or governmental levels, for the benefit of both the natural environment and humans. Due to the pressures of population and technology, the biophysical environment is being degraded, sometimes permanently. This has been recognized, and governments have begun placing restraints on activities that cause environmental degradation. Since the 1960s, activity of environmental movements has created awareness of the various environmental issues. There is no agreement on the extent of the environmental impact of human activity, and protection measures are occasionally criticized. Academic institutions now offer courses, such as environmental studies, environmental management and environmental engineering, that teach the history and methods of environment protection. Protection of the environment is needed due to various human  activities. Waste production, air pollution, and loss of biodiversity (resulting from the introduction of invasive species and species extinction) are some of the issues related to environmental protection. Environmental protection is influenced by three interwoven factors: environmental legislation, ethics and education. Each of these factors plays its part in influencing national-level environmental decisions and personal-level environmental values and behaviors. For environmental protection to become a reality, it is important for societies to develop each of these areas that, together, will inform and drive environmental decisions.[1] How to Save Our Ecosystem Instructions Educate yourself about your local environment. Starting small and learning about the plants and animals in your immediate surroundings will give you an appreciation for the enormous variety of ecosystems on our earth. It will also help you understand how you fit into your natural surroundings and get you thinking about the effects of your actions. When you flush the toilet, where does your water go? When you wash the car and soap runs off into the street, what does that soap go on to affect? What animals do you disturb by replacing native vegetation with nonnative landscaping? Asking yourself these questions is a one of the first steps to reducing your carbon footprint. 2  Find an activist group in your area with a cause you support. It can be a local issue, such as preserving open space in your community, or a more widespread issue, like passing legislation that requires cars to produce fewer greenhouse gas emissions. Being part of a group allows you to meet like-minded people and work toward a common environmental goal. Sponsored Links Homeworks for free We answer 1000 questions daily Free and fast brainly.in 3Consider the implications of your consumerism. Everything you buy has a product life cycle, or a history of how it was produced using what materials. When possible, reduce the impact of your purchase by buying products that are made locally and/or are manufactured from recycled materials. 4  Eat local, organic food. Local food travels less distance from farm to your table, which means that it has a lower carbon footprint, is fresher, and supports your community’s farmers. Organic food is produced without the use of chemical pesticides or fertilizers, and without genetically modified crops. Chemical pesticides and fertilizers can get into the natural environment and harm existing plants and animals; genetically modified crops reduce biodiversity by encouraging a monoculture farm. 5  Travel wisely to decrease your carbon footprint. Use alternative methods of transportation whenever feasible—walk to the store, ride your bike to work, take public transportation downtown. When you do drive, accelerate and decelerate gradually to conserve gas. Also, make sure that your tires are properly inflated and that the emissions system on your vehicle is well maintained.

The Trung Sisters of Ancient Vietnam

The Trung Sisters of Ancient Vietnam Beginning in 111 B.C., Han China sought to impose political and cultural control over northern Vietnam, assigning their own governors to oversee existing local leadership, but unease within the region gave birth to brave Vietnamese fighters like Trung Trac and Trung Nhi, The Trung Sisters, who led a heroic yet failed rebellion against their Chinese conquerors.   The pair, born sometime around the dawn of modern history (1 A.D.), were the daughters of a Vietnamese nobleman and military general in the area near Hanoi, and after the death of Tracs husband, she and her sister raised an army to resist and reclaim freedom for Vietnam, thousands of years before it gained its modern independence. Vietnam Under Chinese Control Despite the relatively loose control of Chinese governors in the region, cultural differences made relations between the Vietnamese and their conquerors tense. In particular, Han China followed the strictly hierarchical and patriarchal system espoused by Confucius (Kong Fuzi) whereas the Vietnamese social structure was based on a  more equal status between the sexes. Unlike those in China, women in Vietnam could serve as judges, soldiers, and even rulers and had equal rights to inherit land and other property. To the Confucian Chinese, it must have been shocking that the Vietnamese resistance movement was led by two women - the Trung Sisters, or Hai Ba Trung - but the made a mistake in 39 A.D. when Trung Tracs husband, a noble named Thi Sach, lodged a protest about increasing  tax rates, and in response, the Chinese governor apparently had him executed. The Chinese would have expected a young widow to go into seclusion and mourn her husband, but Trung Trac rallied supporters and launched a rebellion against foreign rule - along with her younger sister Trung Nhi, the widow raised an army of some 80,000 fighters, many of them women, and drove the Chinese from Vietnam. Queen Trung In the year 40, Trung Trac became the queen of northern Vietnam while Trung Nhi served as a top advisor and possibly co-regent. The Trung sisters ruled over an area that included about sixty-five cities and towns and constructed a new capital at Me-linh, a site long associated with the primordial Hong Bang or Loc Dynasty, which legend holds ruled Vietnam from 2879 to 258 B.C. Chinas Emperor Guangwu, who had reunified his country after the Western Han kingdom fell apart, sent his best general to crush the upstart Vietnamese queens rebellion again a few years later and General Ma Yuan was so pivotal to the emperors successes that Mas daughter became the empress of Guangwus son and heir, Emperor Ming. Ma rode south at the head of a battle-hardened army and the Trung sisters rode out to meet him on elephants, in front of their own troops. For more than a year, the Chinese and Vietnamese armies fought for control of northern Vietnam. Defeat and Subjugation Finally, in 43, General Ma Yuan defeated the Trung sisters and their army. Vietnamese records insist that the queens committed suicide by jumping into a river, once their defeat was inevitable while the Chinese claim that Ma Yuan captured and beheaded them instead. Once the Trung sisters rebellion was put down, Ma Yuan and the Han Chinese clamped down hard on Vietnam. Thousands of the Trungs supporters were executed, and many Chinese soldiers remained in the area to ensure Chinas dominance over the lands around Hanoi. Emperor Guangwu even sent settlers from China to dilute the rebellious Vietnamese - a tactic still used today in Tibet and Xinjiang, keeping China in control of Vietnam until 939. Legacy of the Trung Sisters China succeeded in impressing many aspects of Chinese culture upon the Vietnamese, including the civil service exam system and ideas based on Confucian theory. However, the people of Vietnam refused to forget the heroic Trung sisters, despite nine centuries of foreign rule. Even during the decades-long struggles for Vietnamese independence in the 20th century - first against the French colonists, and then in the Vietnam War against the United States - the story of the Trung sisters inspired ordinary Vietnamese. Indeed, the persistence of pre-Confucian Vietnamese attitudes about women may help to account for a large number of female soldiers who participated in the Vietnam War. To this day, the people of Vietnam perform memorial ceremonies for the sisters every year at a Hanoi temple named for them.

Conflicting Goals for the U.N. Resolution.

Conflicting Goals for the U.N. Resolution. Conflicting Goals for the U.N. Resolution(written on 10/19/2002)On Thursday, October 10th, the United States Congress voted on a resolution that would authorize President Bush to use military force against Iraq. The House of Representatives vote was 296 to 133, in support of the president. The Senate voted several hours later, approving the resolution, 296 to 133. The Republicans were firm supporters of the president; in the Senate, only one republican voted against the resolution. In the House, the majority of Democrats opposed the president. However, more Senate Democrats approved the resolution than not.One of the major goals of this vote was to put pressure on the United Nations to pass a resolution calling for the disarmament of Saddam Hussein. Up until Thursday, October 18, when the Bush administration unexpectedly agreed to compromise, the five veto-bearing members of the 15-member Security Council the United States, Britain, France, Russia, and China were deadlocked over the resolution.English: The United Nations Security Council Chamb...The United States and Britain were pushing for a single resolution that authorizes both weapons inspections and, if the inspections are hindered, military force. France, supported by Russia, wanted two resolutions. The first would authorize tough U.N. inspections. The second resolution, which would be voted on by the Council only if Iraq fails to comply with the first, would authorize military intervention. France was concerned not only about Iraq, but also about America's attempt to gain the right to preemptive military force. As Paul Sanders, director of the Nixon Center, explained, France is worried that the U.S. will become "a superpower that can take military action anywhere it wants without restraint".On Wednesday, October 16th, an open debate was held, allowing non-UN nations to voice their opinions for the resolution. Secretary General Kofi Annan expressed the need for the Security Council to be...

The Greedy Triangle Teaches Kids About Geometry

The Greedy Triangle Teaches Kids About Geometry This sample lesson plan uses the book The Greedy Triangle to teach about the attributes of two-dimensional figures. The plan is designed for second-grade and third-grade students, and it requires a 45-minute period for two  days. The only supplies needed are: The book The Greedy Triangle by Marilyn BurnsSeveral sheets of poster paper The objective of this lesson plan is for  students to learn that shapes are defined by their attributes- specifically the number of sides and angles they have.  The key vocabulary words  in this lesson are  triangle,  square,  pentagon,  hexagon, side and  angle. Common Core Standards Met This lesson plan satisfies the following Common Core standards in the Geometry category and Reason With Shapes and Their Attributes sub-category.   2.G.1. Recognize and draw shapes having specified attributes, such as a given number of angles or a given number of equal faces. Identify triangles, quadrilaterals, pentagons, hexagons, and cubes.3.G.1. Understand that shapes in different categories (e.g., rhombuses, rectangles, and others) may share attributes (e.g., having four sides), and that the shared attributes can define a larger category (e.g., quadrilaterals). Recognize rhombuses, rectangles, and squares as examples of quadrilaterals, and draw examples of quadrilaterals that do not belong to any of these subcategories. Lesson Introduction Have students imagine that they are triangles and then ask them several questions. What would be fun? What would be frustrating? If you were a triangle, what would you do and where would you go? Step-by-Step Procedure Create four large pieces of chart paper with the headings â€Å"Triangle,† â€Å"Quadrilateral,† â€Å"Pentagon† and â€Å"Hexagon.† Draw examples of these shapes at the top of the paper, leaving lots of room to record student thoughts.Keep track of student responses in the lesson introduction on the four large pieces of paper. You will continue to add responses to this as you read the story.Read the story The Greedy Triangle to the class. Split the lesson over two days to go through the story gradually.As you read the first section of the book about the Greedy Triangle and how much he likes being a triangle, have students retell sections from the storys include fit into the space near people’s hips and be a piece of pie. Have students list more examples if they can think of any.Continue to read the story and add to the list of student remarks. If you take your time with this book to get lots of student thoughts, you will likely need two days for th e lesson.At the end of the book, discuss with the students why the triangle wanted to be a triangle again. Homework and Evaluation Have students write an answer to this prompt: What shape would you like to be and why? Students should use all of the following vocabulary words to create a sentence: AngleSideShape They should also include two of the following terms: TriangleQuadrilateralPentagonHexagon Example answers include: â€Å"If I were a shape, I would want to be a pentagon because it has more sides and angles than a quadrilateral.† â€Å"A quadrilateral is a shape with four sides and four angles, and a triangle has only three sides and three angles.†

Arabic civilization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Arabic civilization - Essay Example The aspect of the average density population has little effect to its Arab world since the significant human settlement is found where there is adequate water supply (Wischenbart, 2011). The high rate of illiteracy, lack of up-to-date statistics and information, distorted balance of payments, low purchasing power, and low level of technological development are the due factors that have made Arabs fail to develop in as required in the market book. This statement is well analyzed in this paper. Cultural issues affect every market. The diversity of the culture determines the extent to which such affect the market. For instance, Arabs culture is divided into three main parts, the Urban, Rural, and the Nomad. As such, these cultures place a great significance in both the family and the community. Cultures associated with richness are, Arab art, music and philosophy, these have made great contribution to the development of different areas particularly, mathematics, medicine, astronomy, language, architecture among others have all benefited from Arab industry (Mazlish, 2004). The Arab world has contributed much to the world’s economy. However, this is seen to decline in the book market because they do not seem to abstain from some of their practices. They do not give jobs because of what you have but for who you are, freedom of expression between them is sharply limited as well as freedom of association unlike other countries. The quality of education has seen to be decl ining causing a clear mismatch between the labor market and the education system. Arabs cultural standard does not seem to allow their populations to buy books in a way that develops the book industry (Harabi, 2007). The ballot box power transfer has never been adopted in which parts of the developing world are a common phenomenon. Bogus elections, confused executives and the judiciary, media constraints and on the civil society sometime